


Growing Up With You

by WhereAreTheBreaks



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Awkward Conversations, Big Moments, But its really not that graphic, Canon-Typical Violence, Derek Loves Stiles, Derek and Stiles are the Same Age, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Growing Up Together, Jealousy, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, Love Confessions, M/M, Mates, Memories, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Not Beta Read, Oblivious, Pining, Scott Has Bad Timing, Sheriff Stilinski Finds Out About Werewolves, Slow Build, Stiles Loves Derek, a little bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-02-21 15:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 22,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2473985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhereAreTheBreaks/pseuds/WhereAreTheBreaks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all started with a strange scent in the grocery store, and now Derek can't imagine his life without the hyperactive little shit that is Stiles Stilinski. He didn't know why he always felt the need to be close to the boy but his mom's knowing looks certainly weren't helping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Meeting

When Derek first catches the strange scent of home and family he's six years old, clunching at his mother's long skirt while they walk through the small local grocery store. The scent is mixed enticingly with the light scent of apples and a crisp autumn day, Derek doesn't realize it at the time but it will soon become his favorite scent. 

Without a thought he releases his mother's skirt and waddles away, following the smell with his super power like his family has been teaching him to. His mother was too busy trying to keep a ten year old Laura and four year old Cora from slipping too many things into the cart without her express permission to realize that her saniest child was in the process of wandering away. So he walking through the store unhindered until he found the source of the delightful smell on the toy aisle.

The little boy looked like he could be about the same age as Derek, he had brown hair, pretty eyes, and a spotted face. He was sitting in the middle of the aisle with a small bouncy ball in his hand from one of the lower shelves. The boy wasn't really doing anything with it, just rolling it across the floor until it hit the shelf and sort of bounced back.  
   
The boy with the strange smell didn't even notice him, and Derek- ever the quiet child- wasn't about to make the first move, content to just stand there and watch the boy. 

After another thirty seconds the boy was shoving the ball back onto the shelf and hunting once more for some form of entertainment. That's when he saw Derek and his pretty auburn eyes wided in absolute glee. 

"Will you play with me?" He asked excitedly. "My name is Slaw- Slaw..." The boy struggled and frowned in concentration for a moment. "My daddy calls me Stiles."

"I'm Derek." He replied shyly. "I can play."

"Cool." Stiles practically squealed in delight. He rushed forward and grabbed Derek's wrist and dragged him infront of the shelves. "What do you want to play with?"

Derek looked over the shelves with far too much seriousness for a six ear old before he spotted the  plastic bin filled with an assortment of plastic animals, and right on top was a wolf. "Let's play with those." He pluck the wolf up and dropped to the floor, settling quickly.

"You like wolves too!?" Stiles' eyes were impossibly wide. He moved quickly to snatch up one of the other wolves in the bin. "You are going to be my new best friend." He said with finality and sat down next to Derek.

Derek's wolf preened at the idea and something inside him settled, at six he didn't really know what it was, all he knew was that he already cared for this strange boy. Something inside him demanded he get close to this boy, physically and emotionally; so basically he let Stiles make his own rules to their little games and put up with the constant changing of toys. 

It felt like they'd gone through half to toy aisle before both their mom's found them. Talia, calmly walking towards them, authority wafting off of her in waves, one perfectly shaped dark eyebrow raised in question as she took in the scene. Claudia was decisively less blasé about the whole thing.

"I swear one of these days your going to give me a heart attack." She said quietly, scooping up the little boy and giving him a tight squeeze before setting him down again. "My little man, you need to dial down that wanderlust or you might just drive your daddy crazy."

Stiles leaned in real close to Derek and whispered, "My daddy is a policeman." As if were some big secret. "He gets the bad guys."

Derek wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to respond to his new friend so he just smiled real big and watched their moms talk. He wasn't entirely sure what they were saying; there were too many strange words, plus, Stiles kept shoving toys into his empty hands and demanding - in the nicest way possible - that Derek play with him. So he appeased his new friend, loosing track of the mother's conversation.

Sometime later, Claudia and Talia said their goodbyes with the promise of seeing each other soon. And as their respective mothers drag them away, Derek can't help but miss the doe eyed boy already.


	2. The Stilinski Clan Finds Out About Werewolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and his parents are told about werewolves and it doesn't go according to Derek's plan...

Age: 8, The Day the Stilinski Find Out About Werewolves

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

He's buzzing with excitement, Stiles will be here any minute and Derek's mom promised him that today would be the day that they would tell the Stilinski what they were. He isn't nervous like everyone else in the house seems to be, somehow he just knows that everything will be just fine.

Derek was waiting by the windows, watching for the baby blue jeep that they were all so fond off, and when it came into view he lost it. At eight years old Derek is far too excited to wait for his best friend to make it to the porch before pouncing on him.

“Get off of me you big puppy.” Stiles shouted in fake outrage. “I just saw you like yesterday.”

Ms. Stilinski just laughed at the two of them quietly before following her husband up to the porch of the house to greet the nervous adults. “Good afternoon, Talia.” She greeted, voice full of joy as she greeted or shook hands with everyone else.

“Come on.” Derek said, finally getting off of Stiles to chase after his mother and family. “This is going to be the best day ever.”

**********************

Okay, so, he isn't thinking that a little over half an hour later when Stiles is slinking back into his father in fear at the sight of Talia's half shifted face. Maybe everyone had a good reason to be nervous after all.

 Claudia seemed to be the only one taking it in stride; she was calm yet curious, she didn't shrink away in fear but moved closer in fascination. That is, before her husband dragged her away.

"This... isn't normal." John said as him cautiously moved towards the door.

"There are a lot more of us than you think John. But, we cannot make you stay, if you wish to leave then leave. But know this John Stilinski, if you breathe a word of this to anyone the force of my pack will descend upon you, and we will do what we have to to keep our children and families safe." Talia warned. Her eyes bled red as she took a menacing step towards the small family before finally letting them leave.

As soon as the deep rumble of their jeep couldn't be heard any longer Derek ran up the stairs as quickly as he could and threw himself onto his bed, mourning the loss of his best friend. It felt like he was being ripped in half as he cried into his pillow.

At some point Talia slipped into his room and started rubbing a soothing hand down his small back. She whispered reassurances as she patiently waited for him to calm down. After another couple of minutes his cries quieted to whimpers.

“Everything will be okay little one.” She whispered. “They’ll come around. They just need some time to adjust to everything.”

“No, they’ll never come back. Stiles is scared of me. We should have waited, they weren’t ready. Now they’re gone.” Derek turned over onto his back to talk to his mother and alpha. His technicolored eyes filled with tears once more and he threw himself into his mothers waiting arms. 

*********************

It took almost a week for anything to happen. A week of Derek moping and laying in bed, the rest of the pack quietly letting him mourn the loss of his friend.

Then, on the next Friday that was a knock at the door.


	3. Stiles Meets Scott

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY! ( If you celebrate it and whatnot)

Age: 9, Stiles Meets Scott  
\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After that whole revelation thing, everything gets a little bumpy and Derek isn't entirely sure where he and Stiles stand sometimes. Even though it's been a year it still feels like Stiles hasn't gotten used to it. Used to him.

What happens in fourth grade certainly doesn't help. Then again, change never does.

Stiles and Derek have never been the best friends that magically have every class together. In fact, they've never even had a class together. So it really shouldn't have been a surprise that Stiles made friends with the people that are in his class. Well... friend. As in singular.

Scott McCall to be specific.

A puppy eyed, brown floppy haired boy that manages to rub Derek the wrong way. And as much as he doesn't want to admit it, it's because Stiles is finding new friends and that means that he won't be just Derek's.

Or at least, that's how his mom explained it, so it must very scientific or something, in other words; it's completely normal. For him to be the tiniest bit jealous and for Stiles to be making friends other than Derek, I mean.

Anyway, not only does Stiles complain about him on the playground when they finally get to hang out, but he lets the floppy haired boy sit with them at lunch. Normally, lunchtime is the only time that they can hang out together outside of recess during school. Having someone else there, encroaching on his Stiles time, it isn't something Derek finds amusing.

He already almost lost Stiles once, Derek isn't about to have him stolen out from under his hyper-sensitive nose. Especially by some puppy.

Later that day when he gets home he runs to Laura, with her eighth grade wisdom, and demands answers. How can he get rid of Scott? He doesn't like the boy, he seems... Derek doesn't know, but he definitely doesn't like it.

The first thing that Laura does is assure him that murder is out of the picture. He hadn't even thought of that... it _would_ get the McCall boy out of the way...

"Derek, seriously, I don't care how annoying this kid is. Just don't kill him and everything will be fine, don't be such a freak." Laura rolls her eyes before turning back to her computer and ignoring him.

His mother tells him to just give it time, what things will settle and maybe Derek will come to like Scott. "Derek, honey, I think you might be over reacting a little bit. Just leave it alone for a little bit and see how everything works out before scaring the poor boy away. Who knows, he might even end up being your friend too." Well that's never going to happen.

Finally, he asks his uncle, Peter says that Derek should just ignore Scott until he leaves both him and Stiles alone. Later, his mother assures him that Peter was only kidding and that that is not at all the way to handle things. "In fact," Talia says, "you should hardly ever listen to Peter's advice... Hardly ever." She had repeated. Peter just walked around the corner and winked at Derek conspiratorially.

So the next day, he follows his mother's advice and decides to give Scott a chance. He promises himself that he won't ignore everything about Scott like he normally did, and he might even try making conversation with the other boy. He'll take it one step at a time.

And the perfect opportunity arises the very next day during lunch.

"Last night, Mommy and Daddy and I all got to watch Star Wars and it was the coolest thing I have ever seen!" Stiles shared, enthusiastically waving around his fork full of broccoli. "You guys should come over this weekend and watch it with me. It'll be so much fun! We could have a sleepover! Derek, we haven't had one in forever, we have to have a sleepover this weekend with Scott."

Scott and Stiles gush over the idea for a moment before they realize that Derek has said absolutely nothing. They turn on him almost immediately and the puppy dog eyes at full power.

"Okay." Derek answers hesitantly. He's never been able to say no to Stiles.

Stiles' smile in the only thing he needs to see to know that he made the right decision. Scott even looks relieved, offering Derek a tentative smile.

A couple of seconds later, while Stiles is going on about all the things that they're going to do, Scott and Derek briefly make eye contact, silently pleading for some sort of explanation. And that's when Derek knows that they will, at the very least, get along.

"This is going to be so much fun." Stiles squealed.

*********************

That next week, Derek knows he made the right decision.

After a late night of too much ice cream and the first three (original) Star Wars movies, Scott and Derek had somehow bonded. Probably over having to deal an already spastic Stiles on a sugar high.

He really should listen to his mom more often.

Except about chores... Obviously.


	4. The Super Secret Fort of Total Awesomeness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last chapter wasn't the best so here is another one that might be better.

Age: 11, The Super Secret Fort of Total Awesomeness

\---------------

 

When Stiles called him that morning and demanded Derek to ‘get his furry butt over here’, he didn’t really think anything of it. As far as Derek was concerned that was just another Saturday morning. He didn’t think anything too terribly exciting was going to happen, so he threw on some clothes and raced out of the preserve on the bike that his parents had gotten him for his birthday.

As he pulled up the Stilinski household he was greeted with the site of Mrs. Claudia cleaning out the front flowerbeds. A task she did monthly without fail, sometimes, he and Stiles would even help.

“Hey, Mrs. Claudia.” He shouted as he dismounted his bike and started to walk it up to the front door.

“Good morning, Derek. I hope you’re dressed to get dirty.” She called back with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “I hear Stiles has a lot of plans for you today.”

“Oh? What’s he got planned?” He was genuinely curious. Stiles hadn’t said anything on the phone and usually he was way too excited to keep his plans to himself.

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.” Stiles definitely got his ‘I’ve got a plan’ smirk from her. It was pretty obvious that they had the same manic grin.

One that Derek was way too familiar with. Especially for his liking.

“Just go on in. I’m sure there are a few leftover pancakes if you’re still hungry.” Claudia said before she turned back to her bright tulips and rose bushes.

As soon as he walked inside Derek could hear Stiles running around upstairs, heartbeat frantic with his excitement. The sheriff was in the living room, no doubt reading the morning paper, just like he did every weekend. Forgoing the leftover pancakes that were sitting on the dining room table, Derek raced up the stairs and burst into Stiles’ room without knocking, just like _he_ always did.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Derek asked before throwing himself into Stiles’ unmade bed, silently enjoying being wrapped up in his best friend’s scent. “I’ve been told it’s going to be something big.”

“Derek,” Stiles whined. “You weren’t supposed to hear anything. It was going to be a surprise. But, I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep it a secret anyway,” Stiles conceded. “So I’m just going to tell you. WE’RE GOING TO BUILD A FORT!!! How cool is that?” He was practically jumping up and down in his excitement. Like he did that one time when they went to see the new X-Men movie. Their mom’s had let them go to the midnight showing and so they’d gotten all the soda they wanted so that they’d be awake for it.

“Super cool! Are we going to build a tree house or something?” He hadn’t seen any wood or stuff like that.

“Nope. It’s going to be more like...” Cue the evil smirk. “A wolf den.”

Derek didn’t even bother replying, just shoved Stiles away from him with a groan.

“No!” Stiles shouted upon seeing Derek’s put out expression. “It’s going to be so much fun. Down the street they’ve been digging out some drainage ditches and now there is this mountain of dirt. We’re going to hollow it out. It’ll be super fun. Don’t be such a sourwolf.” Stiles grinned and ran out of the room to gather the supplies, leaving Derek to stare up at the ceiling and wonder why he ever thought it would be a good idea to tell Stiles that he was a werewolf.

 _Because, who else were you going to tell?_ Some not very helpful voice whispered in the back of his mind.

With another long suffering groan, Derek rolled off of Stiles’ bed and trailed down the stairs after his crazy friend. Together they gathered up the shovels and buckets that Stiles deemed necessary, and then lugged them down the street to their soon to be secret fortress of awesome, as Stiles kept referring to it as.

“You ready to finally have the chance to live a childhood dream?” Stiles asked right before they started digging.

“No, but I am curious about one thing...” 

“What?” Stiles asked.

“Why do I allow myself to be roped into your crazy schemes.” Derek sighed before he began digging.

“Hey! This isn’t a scheme. This a not that well thought out plan. I didn’t even put that much effort into it.” Stiles justified himself.

Derek just hummed in reply.

*********************

After about three hours and some help from the sheriff, they managed to make a hole that only Stiles could crawl into. 

“I’m tired.” He stated. “And hungry.”

“This was your idea. Stop complaining.” Derek continued digging as Stiles pretended to stagger and faint.

“I’m too pale to be out in the sun this long.” Stiles whined. 

“Maybe you should have put some sunscreen on.” The other boy was looking a little pink around the edges. 

“You didn’t!” He said accusingly.

“I’m a werewolf. I’ll just heal.” Derek tried to reason.

“This is so unfair.” Stiles fell into the pile of dirt with flourish. He threw an arm over his eyes and laid there, chest heaving with every breath.

“We can stop at anytime.” Derek reminded his melodramatic friend.

“But, we've done so much.” Stiles whined some more, peeking at Derek from under his own arm. After being the recipient of Derek’s glare for the millionth time in as many years he knew it was pretty useless to argue. “Fine.” He finally huffed, rolling his eyes as well. “Let’s go inside.”

*********************

It took a another two days to finish and after spending a week going home covered in dirt, it rained and the whole structure caved in. Just like that. It was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True story; me and my friend Miranda did that once in fifth grade so I thought... hey, why not.


	5. The Talk

Age: 16, The Talk  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Derek's music was blaring in his ears while he tried to make himself focus on the stupid essay his English teacher assigned. For once the Hale house was nearly silent; everyone had something to do except Derek and his parents. He should have known it was a set up right then and there, the Hale House was never ever this quiet. Too many inhabitants to be quieter than a seven, but there it was at a three. Already suspicious in and of itself.

"Derek, son, could you come down here for a second?" His father's booming voice echoed through the empty house. "Your mother and I have something we would like to discuss with you."

At the time it all seemed so perfectly innocent that Derek had to think back to anything he could have possibly done to get in trouble. Coming up empty he hesitantly walked downstairs, and immediately spotted his parents sitting together on the couch. They look equal parts nervous and excited. It was that moment that his stomach filled with dread.

"What's up?" He tried to sound cool but he was so nervous he doubt it worked. Derek just couldn't think of why on earth his parents would get everyone out of the house just to talk to him. He was the quiet child, the only reason he ever got into trouble was when Laura and/or Peter dragged him into some ridiculous scheme.

Oh god, what if Laura pinned something on him and they were going to kill him?

"Whatever it is, I didn't do anything and it's all Laura or Cora or Peter's fault." Derek says hurriedly. 

His mom looked like she was trying not to laugh and his dad just looked confused. "You're not in trouble." They said in unison. Freaky...

He was dubious but descended the rest of the stairs slowly. "Then what do you need to talk to me about?"

"It's about Stiles and yourself," His dad replied calmly. "There are something’s that your mother and I have kept from you, and we believe that now is the time for you to be brought into the light."

This couldn't be good. Derek focused on not reacting to his parents words as he sat in the chair opposite of them.

"As you well know, as werewolves get older certain... things start to change and sometimes you'll get certain urges." His dad started. He shifted awkwardly as he searched for the right words.

"Mom, Dad, please don't. We had the sex talk like two years ago. I don't need it again." Derek whined. It had been all the appropriate amounts traumatizing and informational but no one should have to live through that horrific conversation twice.

His mother makes this sort of strangled noise before coughing. "That... Uh... Isn't what this is about. This is something that not a lot of werewolves get to experience." Talia starts, recovering quickly.

Derek is suddenly struck by how completely awkward they looked, shifting nervously and not quite meeting his eyes.

His dad started speaking before his mother had the chance. "As you know, we aren't actually all that much like actual wolves, of course with a few exceptions, and in a way, this is one of those exceptions. We have a mate, of course it won't be just anyone, this person usually completes you in a way that no one else will ever be able to do." His dad stopped to lick his lips nervously and grimace at his wife.

"Wait, you said that this had something to do with Stiles..." Derek quickly interrupted before either his father or his mother could continue.

"We're getting to that part." Talia reassured. "But this is important and you need to understand what we mean when we say mate."

Derek watched her for a second through narrowed eyes. "Okay."

This was way too weird, his parents never really did talks like this. They were the types of parents that mostly let you make your own decisions, even if they were mistakes. It wasn't often that they would sit you down for a serious talk.

"So, the way most werewolves are able to tell that someone might be their mate is they're scent." Talia continued.

"For some, they tend to describe it as a complete aphrodisiac and others say that their mate's scent is their idea of home and comfort smell like. Some wolves recognize what that scent means immediately, others are... let's say that they can be a little slow on the uptake." His mother finally stops and looks at him expectantly, waiting for some sort of reaction.

"I still don't see what this has to do with Stiles." Derek presses now that it seems like they're done talking.

Both his mother and father sigh and look at him even more expectantly, waiting for him to catch on to something. Derek, he just sits there, waiting for an explanation or a punchline or something. Anything to explain this.

"He really doesn't get it." Derek's father says in wonder. "How is this our life?" He asks, looking upward for answers.

Talia turned and looked her son dead in the eyes before deliberately say, "Stiles. You. Mates." And then goes quiet once more as they waited.

Derek sat there, letting their words fully sink in. Processing all the things they were saying.

"My god, I feel like I can actually see the gears turning." His dad not so subtly whispered. Talia shot her husband a glare but silently agreed, she knew her son wasn’t stupid, but he could sure be slow sometimes. He looked like he had a slight film over his eyes as he thought; they sat there for a over a good couple of minutes before Derek even moved, it felt like an eternity.

“Stiles is...” Derek started. Both of his parents immediately leaned closer, waiting for the announcement of his revelation. “... my mate?” 

“Finally, yes. When you first met him all you talked about for days after was how great he smelled and how you knew that you didn’t need to be scared with him. We didn’t say anything at the time because you were so young, but now that you’re older...”

“So... what? I’m like in love with him or something?” Derek asked. “Cause I didn’t think I was gay, maybe bisexual, but...” He trailed off when he was met with both of his parents overwhelmed and confused faces. “That isn’t what you meant at all, is it?”

Both Talia and her husband shook their heads ‘no’, Talia looked quite serious and confused but her husband looked like he was desperately trying to hold in his laughter. 

“Basically, Stiles is perfect for you in every way. There will never be anyone who will ever mean to you what Stiles means to you.” Talia tried to simplify.

“Why are you so thick headed? You didn’t get it from my side of the family.” Derek’s dad mumbled under his breath, earning him a sharp look.

“Okay.” Derek replied to Talia meekly. Without another word he pushed himself up and off the coach and retreated to his room. He had a lot to think about.


	6. The Next Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of people commented that they were wonderin about how Derek would react to this revelation...so, here it is! Hope you enjoy!

The next morning Derek walked around in a daze. He spent half the night thinking about what his parents had said, how Stiles was his mate. The more he thought about it the more it made sense.

He was always more at ease around Stiles compared to everyone else, sure he was comfortable around other people but he always felt like he needed to push himself to talk more or be more adventurous, but with Stiles he didn’t have to do all that. Stiles was always more than willing to fill the silence, he was able to learn the way that Derek uses his face and body to communicate; so now, they can have whole conversations without Derek ever having to udder a single word.

It was absolutely perfect. 

Stiles had always been outgoing in a way that Derek wanted to be but couldn’t; he dragged Derek with him to do the craziest things.

Derek was going to do it, he was going to tell Stiles everything. Or, at least, that was what he was telling himself as he paced nervously up and down the length of his room. 

Stiles would totally understand. Maybe Stiles even liked him! Or not... His mom and dad hadn’t gotten to distinguishing emotional scents in his training yet. So he had no idea.

“Derek?” Talia asked, popping her head into her only son's room. “Honey, you’re wearing a hole into the floor.”

Derek growled in frustration and threw himself onto his bed. He heard his mom hesitantly entered his room, walking with years of practiced ease over the wads of dirty clothes and discarded books.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a comforting hand over his back. “Der, everything is going to be fine.” 

He wanted to believe her, but he just had this nagging doubt. “What if he doesn’t like me like that? What if he only thinks of me as a friend?” He asked her, his words muffled by the pillow he was trying to burrow into.

Talia laughs loudly before she can help herself, stopping only when she sees Derek curl even more into himself. “If you could see the way that boy looks at you sometimes... It’s a wonder that Stiles hasn’t done anything about his feelings. Trust me, you won't ever have to worry about whether or not Stiles likes you.”

Derek peeked up at her. “Are you sure?”

She smiled down at her hard headed son. “I’m absolutely positively one hundred percent sure that that boy could not physically or emotionally be more in love with you.”


	7. An Almost Kiss

He was going to barf. _Why did I think this was a good idea?_ Derek thought as he walked down the hallway. He could see Stiles standing at the other end of the hallway, laughing at something the goober had said. His head was thrown back and the pale column of his throat exposed.

Derek took a deep breath and shoved his hands into the worn pockets of his dad’s old leather jacket. He could do this.

Slowly, he walked down the hallway with purpose. Deep breathes, in and out.

About halfway down the hallway, honey whiskey eyes met his and he stopped breathing. Stopped moving.

He totally couldn’t do this. Nope.

Stiles smiled at him and waved, asking him to come over. Derek couldn’t help his answering smile, he took a step forward and stopped. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered harder.

Maybe he could talk to Stiles later in a not crowded hallway. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.

He met Stiles’ eyes again and took note of his questioning stare before slowly and deliberately shook his head and gestured behind him and in the general directions of one of his classes. Letting Stiles know that he really needed to go and talk to one of his teachers.

Stiles nodded his understanding, disappointment clear on his face. But, Derek paid it no mind as he ran down the nearest hallway. He could feel the bile rising up in his throat, the sweat running down the divet of his spine, he could hear the rabbiting of his erratic heartbeat. 

Derek ducked into the first familiar looking classroom he came across and practically collapsed into the empty desk.

“Mr. Hale.” The teacher sneered out. “How can I help you?”

He looked up at the woman in front of him and immediately let out a warning growl as she stepped closer to him. “I just need a moment and then I’ll be gone.”

Ms. Argent looked down at him, displeasure and distrust clearly displayed. “Make it quick, I don’t want to have to deal with you than the allotted time sixth period.”

It was times like these that Derek was thankful for his family having told him about the Argents’ and their disgust for him and his family. Otherwise, he might have actually taken Ms. Argent’s obvious dislike of him to heart. Now he knew that she really was the raging bitch that all her students always accused her of being.

Thank God for the small things, am I right?

It was almost too easy to relax after that, his anger had centered him. Grounded him in a way that he was completely used to. 

He watched with a sick sense of pleasure as she glared at him with her souls piercing green eyes (piercing in a "oh my god I hope she never looks at me like that with a knife in her hand" kind of way). over her shoulder and turned towards the board. He thought of how easy it would be to walk up behind her and just rip her head from her body. How the red of her blood would look sprayed across the walls.

“Oh, hey, Derek, there you are!” Stiles said from the doorway. His timing has always been a bit suspicious to Derek, but he doesn’t question it, it usually keeps him out of trouble... unless that troubles name is Stiles, of course. 

Stiles walks into the classroom without so much as a glance in the Argent’s direction. “I really need some help with this one question on the Physics homework. And I thought, hey! Derek’s pretty great at physics, he at least gets A’s on most of the quizzes and tests, I should ask him for some help. And then you were in the hallway and I guess you needed to talk to the,” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Sea Witch, so I followed you, and now we’re here. Anyway, I need help with this eco- I mean, physics problem.” Stiles smiled at Derek as he not so gently dragged him from the  room.

God, Derek was so glad to be out of there. So glad that Stiles had found him. He was pretty sure he was on the edge of wolfing out and didn’t really need to guess what would happen when he did. “I don’t need saving.” Derek said stubbornly, instead of all the other things that he wanted to say.

“It sure didn’t look like that to me. To me it looked like you were about to rip her throat out, with your teeth.” Stiles said with a semi joking smile. You threaten someone once and all of a sudden it’s the funniest joke in the world. “Besides, she isn’t exactly a joy to be around. I can’t imagine a lot of people hanging around her willingly.”

“I can handle her just fine.” Derek grumbled, wrenching his arm out of Stiles’ weak grip. “I don’t need you to protect me.”

Stiles didn’t even dignify his first response with an answer, just raised his eyebrow as if to say, ‘you sure about that’, but that last bit seemed to flip a switch in Stiles.

“You might not need me to protect you, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to protect you from everything that I can.” Stiles whispered, pulling him close. “Someone’s has to make sure that your furry ass doesn’t get into too much trouble.”

Derek could feel Stiles’ warm breath on his face and couldn’t keep himself from looking down at those plush lips.  He hopped to God that Stiles didn’t notice, but the smirk on the other boy’s face said otherwise. Consciously or not, Stiles started to lean forward; his eyes were drifting closed.

“Hey, I need some...” Scott rounded the corner gracelessly and stared at the two, who immediately jumped apart.

“Need some...” Stiles prompted, ignoring the blush rising in his cheeks. He rubbed nervously at the back of his neck and avoided making eye contact with Derek.

Things just got a whole lot more interesting around here, Derek thought to himself as he listened to Stiles trip over his words as he tried to explain something to Scott.

Stiles was totally not repelled by him. Which, okay he already knew but... the kiss. That meant something right?


	8. Did I Read This Wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'mma little late.

It didn't really register for Derek until he was walking to first period but holy shit he just almost kissed Stiles!

He wanted to punch his fist in victory and do a little dance, everything was going to turn out fine. Or, that’s what he told himself as walked away with a stupid grin on his face.

He had history first thing and when he walked in, not even the surprise pop quiz on the board could bring him down. Derek sat down, pulled out a pen, and made that quiz his bitch because today was his day. On any other day history really wouldn't be his best subject, so when he was one of the first couple of people to hand in the quiz, he got a disbelieving look from his teacher. Of course, it didn't bother him because he was riding a high that he refused to come down from.

Stiles liked him. At least enough to try kissing him.

Was there a high better than finding out the person you like might be interested in you too? Nothing that Derek had tried. Not that he had tried very much... Or anything.

The rest of the day went on in much the same fashion; over confidence, a sense that all was right in the world, and that nothing could possible go wrong.

He didn't care about the English test or about the small novel of worksheets he received in Algebra II or even about the slightly horrifying power-point he had to sit through in health class. Everything was easy to deal with because he was a mature young adult.

By the time lunch rolled around, he knew exactly what he was going to do to win Stiles over.

So, that’s when things got awkward.

Before lunch, which he shared with Stiles, Scott, Cora, Lydia, and Jackson, and sometime Laura, Derek had fully committed to dragging Stiles aside to finish what they had started that morning in the hallway. But once he got to the table every single person got quiet. Which... never happen, obviously. And they all had guilty looks on their faces, and he just knew that every single one of them knew exactly what had happened.

“What’s...” He tried to clear the sudden lump in his throat. “What’s wrong?”

Cora was the first to open her mouth, which didn't bode well for him. If Cora was talking it meant bad news that needed to be broken as gently as possible.

“Well you see...” She paused, searching for the right words.

Which meant that she had her chance and it was someone elses turn to try and explain things, and that his one chance at a gentle delivery was gone.

“Danny asked Stiles out.” Lydia said coolly. She said it casually, like she hadn't just told him the one person who was his perfect other half might be just out of reach for the next who knows how long, if not forever.

“He said no though.” Cora rushed in.

Which... “Okay?” Derek answered.

“Someone finally mastered the art of inflection.” Stiles commented.

He turned to face the other boy, who looked no less cheery than normal, and nearly started macking on him right then and there. Honestly? He probably would have if it wasn't for their group and nearly half the school being in the room as well.

Right. Stick to the plan.

“Stiles.” The other boy looked over at him from where he was making faces at Scott. “Can we talk after school?” Was it just him or did Stiles’ shoulders seem to drop a little bit? It’s probably nothing... “My house?”

“Oh, uh. I really don’t think that there’s anything to talk about.” Stiles said. His whole demeanor changed with the words.

Maybe he read the situation wrong?

“Please. It wont take long at all.” The talking wont at least. Anything after that...

Stiles looked conflicted for a moment before nodding slowly as if he still wasn't entirely confident with his answer. Derek would surely change that.

“Alright.” Derek said with a small smile.

For the rest of lunch everything passed like it normally would; it was filled with odd conversations and even odder comments, mostly from Stiles, but otherwise, it was like any other day.

*********************

The rest of the day passed in a blur of anxiety and excitement. He was stressed about that afternoon, what if he read the situation wrong. He was so excited he could barely contain himself, he would most likely be macking on Stiles soon.

When the bell rang at the end of the school day Derek’s stomach swooped with nerves and excitement. He jogged out the parking lot, ready to leave and get home. Unfortunately, he was stopped but a five foot three strawberry-blonde she-devil.

“What are you up to?” Her green eyes were narrowed in suspicion. “I wont let you hurt him.”

“Who?” He asked. He was just a couple of steps from his car.

“Stiles.” Lydia answered with a roll of her eyes.

“I’m not going to hurt Stiles.” What was she? Crazy or something?

“He told me what happened this morning. About how he almost kissed you. Don’t use the fact that he likes you against him.”

For someone who is usually so good at reading people she sure couldn't read him. “I’m not. I’m going to ask him out because he’s my ma- someone I've been in love with forever.” Totally awesome save, and no one could say otherwise. “I didn't think that he would feel the same way, even though my mom told me he did, until this morning.”

And he realized what he said; not the junk about what happened but the ‘I’m in love with him part’, because he was. He was in love with Stiles Stilinski. How could he not have noticed? The more he thought about it the more obvious it became.

Derek Hale was in love with Stiles Stilinski.

“I should have known.” Lydia says with just a hint of disgust. “You get that same stupid look on your face that he does.” He’s about to ask her ‘what face’ but then she steps out of his way.

“Go and get him.”

Derek takes one step forward.

“But know this. If you hurt him in any way, I will hurt you.” She was actually really intimidating. You wouldn't think so when she’s all smiles and shit,but man, she really is.

Derek nods his understanding and moves around her to go get his man. He takes one last deep breath and climbs into the car.

*********************

The drive is normally only about twenty minutes long but today it feels like hours. The drive to the preserve feels like a hundred miles of evergreen trees and a quiet that Derek just can’t appreciate today. In reality it, well okay it is a forest but it’s only like six or seven miles, and Derek always appreciates silence. It’s hard to come by in a house full of people, and Derek isn't the social butterfly that Laura is.

Finally, the drive was almost over. He turned onto the short dirt drive that led you up to the Hale house. The large house came into view, gradually revealed by the trees, it was a soft white from the years worn paint. The front porch filled him with nostalgia for a moment; so many things had happened on that porch, not just with Stiles but with everyone. He didn't know what he would do if he were to lose them. The patch of grass that made up the ‘front yard’ was filled with toys from his cousins and brothers and sisters.

At last, his eyes landed on the baby blue jeep parked haphazardly next to it all. Not an unfamiliar sight, just one that never ceased to fill him with happiness. Derek parked the car, stepped out, took a deep breath, and walked into the house.


	9. Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, I had finals and projects and all the usual excuses but I finally got it typed up and glanced over and everything so here you go.

The house itself was pretty quiet with the exception of the muffled heartbeat that Derek had grown up listening to. Stiles has had a key to the Hale house since middle school when his mom first got admitted to the hospital and Stiles had to stay over while his dad worked. He never did give the spare key back. Not that anyone in his family minded. 

Everybody loved Stiles and adopted him quickly, especially when he grew into a wit that could match up against Peter’s. Not many could verbally spar with his uncle the way that Stiles could, and Peter loved the boy for it.

Derek smiled at the memory of a particularly entertaining argument between the two about the rules of a game before he remembered himself and took a slow, deep breath to steady himself. He was about to approach his best friend and hopefully soon to be true mate about _feelings_. Something he’s never been particularly good at expressing correctly.

God, he was nervous. The palms of his hands were slick with sweat and his hands where unsteady as he reached for the knob of the front door.

The door opened with an ominous creak as Derek stepped into the house.

“Stiles?” He called out, letting the other boy know he was there. You could only startle Stiles so many times by ‘appearing out of nowhere’ before Stiles started to get creative and vengeful, something Derek never wanted the displeasure of experiencing again.

“In here.” Stiles called out automatically. His heart beat picked up at the knowledge of Derek's prescence.

Derek could feel his heart race faster in his chest as he was over come by a new wave of nerves. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea...

He could hear Stiles pacing upstairs in Derek’s bedroom, anxiously awaiting him.

The only thing that could be heard in the nervous-tension filled house were the muffled shuffles of Stiles pacing, Derek’s own unsteady foot falls as he walked up the stairs, and two rabbit fast heart beats. All that was missing was some dramatic music to give the scene a sense of build up and there would be a classic rom-com scene in our hands.

Derek was both excited for and dreading the exchange that was bound to happen just any moment. He had practically raced up the stairs in comparison to the small shuffle of his steps in the hallway as he grew nearer to his bedroom. When he finally talked himself into at least pushing the door open he was enthralled by the sight of Stiles nervously pacing around his bed, unconsciously rubbing his scent along the edge of the comforter as he went. Derek allowed himself to stand in the doorway for a moment and watch as Stiles flung his hands around with whatever thoughts were flying through his overactive mind. It was just as amusing to watch as it had been the first time he’d seen it all those years ago.

“Hey.” Derek said softly. Some part of him hoping that Stiles hadn’t heard him because that was seriously the lamest thing to say right now. ‘Hey’, he might as well have just blurted everything out too quickly to be comprehensible. That probably would have been better actually...

Stiles turned to look at him and very nearly tripped on some of the clothes that littered the floor of his room. He really needed to straighten everything up. He shook his head to clear his mind, 'cause seriously? Not the time.

“Hey.” Stiles said nervously. “What did you want to talk about?” He chewed on his lip nervously and the conversation he had with Lydia about hurting Stiles flashed through his mind.

What did he want to talk about?

_The fact that I’m completely in love with you and have been for ages but didn’t realize it until my parents had to sit me down and give me a totally embarrassing talk._

“I was hoping we could talk about this morning.” Derek said instead. He reached back to scratch nervously at his neck while he searched for the words. “I know you said that there wasn’t anything to talk about but I think we need to.” He looked at Stiles with hope filled eyes. He wished that this was one of the times that Stiles would be able to understand him without him saying a word.

“Okay, so... we almost kissed. It doesn’t have to mean anything. I know you don’t feel the same way about me and only really see me as a friend so I promise to try and not make things awkward..." It clearly wasn't one of those times where silent communication was going to be a thing that worked. "Actually, things are going to be awkward wheither we want them to be or not so I just I really shouldn’t be making a promise if I can’t keep it. ‘Cause Allison and Scott, perfect example of how awkward things get when you try to be friends with someone you’re in love with, of course they got back together. On second thought, maybe not the best example. I’m not saying that we’re a couple or anything because obviously we’re just friends.”

“Stiles.” Derek attempted to interrupt.

“Friends. Which we have always been and nothing more than that. Because you don’t feel that way about me.” Stiles continued.

“Stiles, I-” Derek attempted again.

“I know what you’re going to say so don’t bother. I’ll leave you alone if you want me to.”

That isn’t what Derek wanted at all. This isn’t where Derek wanted this conversation to go.

Derek couldn’t help the growl that escaped him at Stiles’ words, his eyes flashing that beta gold.

“Stiles! Would you just listen to me for a second?!” Derek snarled. “I love you okay! I don’t want you to leave me alone. I want you to...” He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. He’s never been good at the whole feelings thing. “I just want you.”

Derek stared at Stiles, carefully taking in his reaction but was met with silence and a wide-eyed stare. This is such a rom-com moment that if Cora or Laura were here he would never ever hear the end of it.

"I-Uh, me too. Want you, I mean." There was a slight pause after Stiles stumbled over his words. Stiles looked at the ground and seem to collect himself before he spoke again.

"I love you too, is what I meant to say." He cleared his throat and met Derek's eyes once more. 

"Yeah?" Derek asked, his heart and chest seemed to expand with the new wave of affection that over came him. 

"Yeah." Stiles replied breathlessly before stepping forward with a small, pleased smile on his full lips.

Derek smiled in return before taking his own step closer so that they were nearly chest to chest. 

He felt like he'd been waiting on this moment for forever, despite the fact that he hadn't realized his feelings until recently. He wanted to howl from the joy that over took him when Stiles leaned forward, further entering his personal space. If it had been anyone else they'd probably have a broken bone or two but this, this was Stiles. Stiles who wanted him in return. Stiles who... was looking at him rather expectantly because this was seriously not the time to get lost in his own thoughts. 

Kissing. That needed to happen. Like yesterday.

So he leaned the rest of the way forward, both of Derek's hands found their places on Stiles' hips and he finally FINALLY connected their mouths. It really wasn't anything more than a press of mouths but it was amazing. Best. First. Kiss. EVER.

The noise Stiles made sent a shiver down his spine, it sounded like pure relief and pleasure and if that wasn't the hottest thing... well Derek didn't know what was. Though he didn't have anything to compare it to outside of porn but... Still.

Derek was pulled out of his thoughts when Stiles suddenly dragged his dull nails over his scalp. It took a turn for amazing and when Stiles tilted his head and deepened the kiss. 

He couldn't help but moan as Stiles gripped his hair and pulled him in closer.

"My my it is about time." 

He didn't squeal no matter what anyone said. He let out a very manly cry of surprise upon hearing his uncle.

"Peter, I thought I told you to give the boys a moment to collect themselves." Talia said from the doorway with a smug smile. 

Derek took a quick step back, detaching himself from Stiles, and a blush graced both of their cheeks.

"I doubt that a minute would have been enough. I mean, if they even noticed our arrival." Peter smirked at the two and threw them a wink before trotting off to his room.

Talia just sighed and glared in the general direction of where her brother waundered off before turning to them both. "I'm so glad you two finally ended up together. I'm sure everyone else will be just as excited. In fact I think I'll call your grandmother and tell her the good news."

"Moooooom." Derek whined at his mother's retreating back. Next to him, Stiles laughed and put a hand on his arm to drag him towards the bed so they could both sit down.

"So what happens now, are we dating or..." Stiles asked, biting at his bottom lip nervously as he waited for Derek's answer. His totally kissable lips.

Right, he hadn't told Stiles about the whole 'mate thing'. How do you tell someone that you've only just kissed that you're supposed tone together forever? 

"We're..." Don't lead with the whole forever thing. It'll only freak him out. He deserves to know but does he have to know right now? "... mates?"

So much for that idea.

"Mates? What does that mean? Exactly." Stiles raised an expectant eyebrow. 

"Well... Uh... Forever?" Derek cringed at his words. 

Why did this have to be so hard? Why did he have to be so bad at feelings? Laura should have prepared him more for this! She was always telling him the best way to do stuff. But no. She just had to go off to college for an 'education'. 

Stiles looked at him with mixture of disbelief and shock. He sat completely motionless and stared at Derek, waiting for... something. Probably for Derek to either take it all back or explain. Which... Yeah, would probably be for the best.

"So you see... With werewolves..." Derek let put a frustrated sigh. "I'm not explaining this right." But he knew who would be able to do it. "Just wait for a second."

He launched himself out of his room and down the hall to his mother's room. "Mom?"

She looked up from whatever book she was reading. "Yes, honey?" She put the bookmark in-between the pages and put her book down.

"Can you help me explain mates to Stiles?"

Talia sighed and looked over her son.

"It's just that. I don't really know what they are either, so how can I explain them to somebody else?"

"Alright, honey, meet me down stairs with Stiles and I'll try to explain it as best I can." She gave him a reassuring smile before he was running back to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone has a nice and safe holiday season! xo


	10. Age: 17, Derek and Stiles Just Want to Take the Next Step in Their Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I don't think I write very good sexy times so, I'm sorry if it's a little awkward.

Age: 17, Derek and Stiles Just Want to Take the Next Step in Their Relationship

********************

 

"My Dad's working late tonight." Stiles whispers in his ear before class while they clinged to and kissed each other in the parking lot before the first bell rang.

"Really?" Derek asked with a small smile before he placed a small kiss on the tip of Stiles' adorable up-turned nose.

"MmmHmmm." Stiles hummed, leaning further into the touch.

Whenever they were wrapped up in each other like this, everything else just fades away, and it felt like they're all that's left in the world. It's beyond nice. Stiles always smells so content and happy, it all just makes Derek never want to leave his mate's arms. But something always seems to be dragging them away from each other.

Derek and Stiles have been dating for four months, and every single time they try to take their relationship to the next level something pulls them away from each other. The first time that Derek and Stiles were making out in Stiles room they barely got the zippers of their jeans down before Stiles' phone went off; Scott needed some bro time because he and Melissa had gotten into a huge fight that had him convinced it was the end of their nice and peaceful mother/son relationship (and also Scott's use of the car), so, of course Stiles had to go and consol him. The second time Stiles had just gotten his hand into Derek's jeans when Laura burst into the room shouting "I'm back bitches!". Every time after that seemed to have something along those lines as well.

He was sick of it. All Derek wanted was some uninterrupted time with his boyfriend.

 

**********************  
_After School, Later That Day_

 

They stumbled through the front door, their lips never loosing contact as Stiles pushed and pulled Derek towards his bedroom. 

"I feel like I've been waiting for this for forever." Stiles whispered against Derek's lips. His hands roamed over Derek's shoulders and back as Stiles tried desperately to pull them impossibly closer together. "Seriously, what are the odds of someone walking in on us that many times? Only us." As he talked, Stiles had taken to combing his fingers through Derek's hair.

"Stop. Talking." Derek growled against his boyfriend's mouth. Now that they were finally alone all Derek wanted to do was kiss, and maybe a little something more. If Stiles was okay with it, obviously.

"Right." Stiles said with a small smile. "Kissing. Let's get back to that." His nimble hands moved to frame Derek's face and pull him in closer.

"I'm trying." Derek grumbled before plush lips were pressed against his once more. 

Finally, they got into Stiles' bedroom. Derek quickly pushed at Stiles' layers, shoving them off the younger man's shoulders as they stumbled towards the bed. Somehow, Stiles manages to spin them around so that Derek's the one that fell backwards onto the bed. Stiles crawled up Derek's body, pushing his shirt up as he went, leaving small kisses on the skin revealed. 

"Get up here." Derek commanded breathlessly.

Stiles looked up at him from underneath his lashes before a small smirk spread across his face. "Bossy. I like it." And then he moved up to place a passion filled kiss on his demanding boyfriend's lips. While they kissed, Stiles moved his hands up and down Derek's sides, slowly rucking up the shirt between them until it was scrunched up in Derek's armpits. Finally Derek pushed Stiles away so that he could pull the goddamn shirt off.

"I still can't believe you're my boyfriend." Stiles gasped before ducking in for a kiss. His leathe hands moved to slowly drag the zipper of Derek's jeans down. 

God, his boyfriend was amazing. Derek loves Stiles so much. 

He moved to kiss down the side of Stiles' face to suck and kiss at his neck. His own hands moving to Stiles' zipper whilst Stiles stuggled to pull his jeans down just enough to shove his hand inside. 

The other boy moaned above him as sucked a hickey into Stiles neck. The sound was positively pornographic. 

"God, you-" Derek started to huff out against Stiles' pale neck.

"Boys?" The sheriff called from where he was making his way up the stairs. The old boards creaked under him and why hadn't Derek noticed him pulling into the driveway?

They were going to be in a shit ton of trouble if they got caught.

"Quick put your shirt back on." Derek whispered, diving off the bed to grab his shirt off the floor. He tossed Stiles his discarded shirt and hurriedly pulled in his own.

"It's like they've some sort of psychic ability. Or the a-" Stiles started on, pulling one of his many t-shirts on over his head. Or trying to anyway.

"It doesn't matter, your dad is about to walk in here. Put your shirt on." Derek growled. The sheriff was on the other side of Stiles' door.

The door flew, the sheriff walked in, shielding his eyes before hesitantly lowering his hand. 

"Oh thank god." John muttered when he saw that they were clothed.

"Sir, we ah..." Derek stood and tried to put some distance between them, ignoring Stiles betrayed look. Except when he took a step away from the bed, his jeans fell to his knees.

Que the awkward silence.

"Yeah..." John said, giving them a skeptical look. "Meet me down stairs once you've dressed yourselves."

There was no getting out of this one.

"Why does this always happen?" Stiles asked while zipping up his own jeans.

Yeah, he was wondering the same thing.

And that's how Derek got yet another awkward sex talk.


	11. Well... this is just embarrassing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Beck who said: "the next chapter should be you get the hales involved and they both get the awkward sex talk from both families. Please write that it'd be so funny."
> 
> Ask and you shall receive

(About A Month After Last Chapter)  
********************

 

Derek was warm, warm and relaxed. Comfortable too. So really there was absolutely no need to move ever again. None at all. He was curled up in bed and slowly blinking awake, trying to remember why he even needed to wake up.

Somewhere behind him he could hear some whispering but didn't care enough to actually tune in to what they were saying. This was, unknowingly, the first mistake he made that morning.

The second? Assuming it was going to be like any other morning. 

A minute, maybe an hour later, who knows, his bedroom door creaked open. 

"We're having a family meeting downstairs." Cora told him from the doorway. "So get up and get your ass downstairs." Then she walked off, presumably to go to said meeting. 

They had family meetings every month or so, just to bring up any changes that might be happening or if there was anything anyone needed to be on the look out for. It was a pretty standard affair, nothing that really raised any alarms. That was probably the point of it all, keep it calm and innocent.

Derek ambled down the stairs, fully expecting the meeting to be in full swing. They'd never waited on him before, especially in the mornings, Derek was never on time for anything in the mornings. But, instead he was met with silence and everybody's eyes on him. 

Laura had been ambushed this way her senior year of high school when she kept coming home stinking of...

"Oh." Derek realized. This wasn't a meeting. This was an intervention. 

Derek and Stiles were perfectly healthy hormonal teenagers, teenagers in a relationship, with each other. After a few... barriers, they'd managed to take the next natural step in their relationshipe. And continued to take that step, repeatedly and in many _many_ positions. 

Apparently that meant that it was intervention time.

"Hey guys." Derek said awkwardly as he moved to sit down in the empty space between Laura and Cora. "What's going on?" Why did he ask that, he already knew the answer.

Next to him Laura snorted and patted his shoulder reassuringly. 

"Well son, it has come to your mother and I's attention-"

"Everyone's attention." Peter cut in. 

His father glared at the interruption, but continued after a short pause. "That you and Stiles have... engaged in certain activities and we wanted to just check in and make sure that you were both using the appropriate materials for your... activities."

"And would start taking showers afterwards." Peter grumled with a small smirk.

"Peter!" Talia shouted sounding slightly scandalized.

Peter leaned forward in his seat to look at his sister. "The boy comes home sticking of sex, all I ask is that he tries a little harder at clean up after the fact." His hands where up in the universal signal of surrender as he was faced with the full intensity of the Hale Glare from more than one member of the clan.

"Anyway," Talia turned back towards Derek. "The Sherriff and I were talking-"

"The Sherriff?!" Derek shrieked. 

"Yes," His mother looked at him with some confusion but mostly unending patience. "We were talking and we decided that the two of you needed a ah," Talia turned to her husband for help.

"A safe sex talk." He provided with a cringe.

"But I've-" Derek started before his mother through up a hand to make him stop.

"This one will be not only about the logistics of safe sex but also about sex from a werewolf perspective. It's important that you and Stiles be prepared and knowledgable." Talia concluded.

Another sex talk? Derek didn't know if he could survive the embarrassment of another one of them. One was more than he needed. Seriously, the Internet? So helpful. But three talks? That's just... overkill. 

"I think that Stiles and I-" Derek started once again only to be, once again, shut down by his mother. 

"This is happening." Her eyes flashed alpha red and that was the end of it.

"Wait, why did we have to be here for this?!" Cora asked, outraged, from the couch.

 

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

 

About an hour later there was a knock on the door that sent nervous butterflies into a whirlwind in his stomach. He didn't want _another fucking sex talk_ , he just wanted to curl back up on his bed and ignore the rest of the world, except Stiles.

The house was eerily silent for once as Talia let Stiles and his father in.

"Morning John." Talia greeted politely.

Derek was paralyzed on the couch, he scarcely wanted to breathe. When a wordless weight joined him he could feel the blood pounding in his ears, even without the casual sniff, he knew it was Stiles.

"This is so embarrassing." Stiles mumbled knowing that all the werewolves could hear him. 

Derek reached over to hold his boyfriend's hand, a quiet show of support and agreement. But Stiles, being Stiles, took it further. He scooted closer until their sides where touching in a line of heat and then curled around Derek in some sort of octopus hold. Derek, being the cuddle monster he secretly is, just sank into the hold.

They cuddled through the talk about mates and what that meant. How Derek might become protective and more... touchy feel-ly. Stiles had chuckled at the word  choice and Derek had to hide his own smile in Stiles' grown out brown locks.

But then Derek's mom got to the... sex stuff. What being mates would  mean in the bedroom. 

Derek and Stiles couldn't help but gently scoot away from each other  under the amused eyes of their parents. It just felt so weird to be all wrapped up in his boyfriend when both of their parents were giving them both _another_ tramatizing sex talk

But after what felt like, and might as well have been, days, they were finally able to leave. 

"That was so embarrassing." Stiles muttered as they headed up stairs. His usually pale cheeks where now a bright pink.

Laura was standing at the top of the stairs with a bright grin plastered on her face. "Welcome to the club." She said with far too much glee in her voice. "You know that means, Cora? You're next!" 

Derek just glared at his older sister before tugging Stiles into his bedroom.


	12. The Horrors of AP Classes, Age 16 going on 17

The Horrors of AP Classes, Age 16 going on 17

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Junior year is such a pain. AP classes are such a pain. Life in general is such a pain.

Everybody always tells you 'just wait till you get to college' but this, it can't get worse than this. Every waking second is spent studying for one thing or another. It feels like there's a new test everyday. 

All the AP classes that Derek has forced himself to take are finally catching up with him. As the AP tests grow closer, the work load gets heavier. He's got essays coming out of his ears and bullshit  coming out of his mouth as he writes paper after paper.

Stiles is basically the only person that can get him to calm down. He's always the person who can pull him away from the mountain of work, not for too long though, just long enough for him to sort himself out. Stiles is the one who brings Derek a bag of his favorite chips, or will sit through an episode of one of Derek's shows, even though he hates some of Derek's shows.

Unfortunately, Stiles is in some of his own AP classes. That means he's got his own six page research paper to write, and as amusing as it was, he can't write another paper as off topic as the history of male circumcision for economics. 

"Hey Derek, come look at this." 

"No Stiles, you need to be working."

"But this is so interesting."

"This paper is due in two days, you need to work on it." 

Today is one of those days where it doesn't seem like Stiles can do anything other than be off task. 

"Derek." Stiles whined looking over the top of his laptop at Derek, puppy eyes at full blast. "It'll only be a second."

He sighed, Stiles has been like this all day. Derek doesn't know how many times he's looked at whatever weirdness Stiles has stumbled upon but he does know this. "That's what you said last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. You need to work." He tapped the side of Stiles screen and gave him a pointed look.

"How can I focus when I have someone as amazing as you in a room alone with me?" His voice had gotten low and he scooted closer as he spoke. 

Derek has also seen this ploy a few times already, but that doesn't mean it's entirely unsuccessful.

Stiles was still moving closer, pushing the laptop off of Derek's lap and crawling to take its place which brought their faces just inches apart. 

"Are we really doing this again?" Derek whispered against Stiles lips.

"That depends, are you going to stop it... again?"

"Only if you can answer my question."

"Hmm." Stiles hummed questioningly and leaned forward further. Their lips brushed together with every breath.

"What's your essay about?" He was being a bit unfair, even he couldn't remember what he'd been writing about just moments before. 

Stiles paused for a moment and then he growled quietly, letting out a frustrated huff. "You're so unfair." Stiles let his head fall onto Derek's shoulder.

He didn't say anything to comfort his boyfriend, he only patted Stiles' back and nuzzled into his neck. "We still have to work on these essays, but if you get a lot done I might be persuaded to do... things." Derek offered as some sort of peace offering, he really wanted nothing more than to kiss Stiles and watch movies while he rattled off random facts, but he needed this done so that he could focus on his other surprise for Stiles.

"Could be worse," Derek whispered into Stiles' ear. "I could be forcing you to study for that APUSH test we have coming up."

Stiles groaned loudly in dismay. "Alright alright, let's just get this done." Derek couldn't help but find  his boyfriend's frustrated grumbling adorable.

But Stiles didn't pull away, instead he shifted so that he was curled up against Derek's side and then pulled both their laptops onto their respective laps. At first, Derek only watched as Stiles pulled up window after window of pages of information that he seamlessly wove into his essay. 

"You're staring at me," Stiles muttered, the smile was obvious in his voice. Stiles glanced over at Derek for a moment before he turned back to his work.

"I'm just in awe of my amazingly smart and talented boyfriend." 

Now Derek could actually see the smile the was growing on his face. "Well, you're making it hard to focus."

"I'm sorry." He wasn't sorry at all. In fact, Derek wanted nothing more than to lean over and distract Stiles in a far more fun way, but they needed to get this done so that everything else could fall into place. "How about a snack break?"

He knew just the thing for Stiles, in fact he had one or two in his bedside table drawer. Ever since he and Stiles started studying together he's made it a point to have a few on him or with him at all times. 

"Yeah, it definitely feels like a good time for a break." He pushed his laptop off of his lap and stretched his arm up above his head and arched his back enticingly. Derek's eyes wandered to the little strip of skin that was revealed. 

Quickly, he distracted himself by reaching into his drawer and pulling out something he knew Stiles would absolutely love. 

As soon as Stiles caught sight of the orange packaging he practically tackled Derek to the bed. He snatched the candy right out of Derek's hand and ripped it open before Derek even realized what was going on. He moaned loudly when he finally got a Reese's  in his mouth.

"I knew you loved me." Stiles groaned. 

Derek scoffed, "It took me giving you a Reese's for you to realize that?"

"No, of course not. You're just way too perfect." Stiles sighed and threw himself across Derek's lap so that he could look up into his wonderful boyfriend's faces while he shoved the other chocolate into his mouth. Derek smiled down at him.

"You got any more of these?" Stiles asked, waving the empty package infront of Derek's face.

Derek snorted but pulled the other one out anyway.

"So perfect." Stiles muttered as he tore the new pack open.


	13. 17, The Last Day of School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long and ended up being so short but it got stupid busy with testing and birthdays and projects, but I finally finished and posted this! Hope you guys enjoy and if you still have finals I wish you luck!

Derek had barely stopped the car when Stiles jumped out and started to race for the porch steps, he hadn't even closed the car door behind him- just left it for Derek to close. Derek, of course, wasn't too far behind him and even managed to catch up with him as Stiles stepped into Derek's bedroom. He only watched as Stiles flopped down onto Derek's messy bed with an over exaggerated groan of relief.

Stiles threw an arm over his eyes and quickly kicked his shoes off before rolling over and burrowing under the thick, soft blankets. "I never want to do anything again, I think my brain is broken."

Derek rolled his eye, unable to stop the fond grin that spread across his face. "At least you don't have anymore school, at least for the next few months anyway. You're all done and can sleep in and watch tv to your hearts content."

He gently tugged at a corner of the comforter that encompassed his boyfriend and chuckled quietly when a pale hand shot out and intertwined their fingers. Stiles made another quiet noise of relief and burrowed further into his burrito, gently tugging on Derek's hand in a silent request. One Derek had no problem acquiescing. Derek climbed into the bed easily enough and let out his own sigh of relief and contentness as Stiles' arms quickly wrapped around his body.

This was something he'd never get tired of: being wrapped up in his mate with nothing pulling him away or distracting him - and with Stiles' ADHD that was a rare occurrence. He could just listen to the steady and reassuring thrums of Stiles' body hard at work. He could breathe in the scent of him unabashedly. It was everything he could ever want.

Derek pressed a quick kiss to his mates forehead and wrapped his own limbs a little more tightly around the leaner boy. A soft smile present as he drifted off into an easy sleep, lulled by the rapid beats of Stiles' heart.

 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 

The poster covered room was a lot more dimly lit when Derek woke up to the sound of the bedroom door opening. Talia's head was poking through the slightly opened door. Her face was soft and fond as she took in the sight of them tangled together.

"Hey," She whispered. "Dinner's ready if you guys are up to joining. If not I can put some food aside."

Derek rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sleepily glanced at his still unconscious boyfriend. He nudged the other boy carefully, "Hey," he whispered as he nudged Stiles again. He continued  until Stiles finally let out an unhappy groan. "Do you want to eat or nah?"

Stiles rolled to face Derek and blinked on eye open to glare at his boyfriend before venomentaly shaking his head in disagreement with the whole idea. "Sleeeeeep." He murmmered adorablely. "Could sleep f'r thousand years."

Derek didn't even notice Talia ducking back out into the hallway, giving them their space. He only smiled softy down at him and carded his fingers through the soft brown hair while he listened to Stiles' slow breathing as he drifted back off.  After waiting another moment to be sure, but also because he was enjoying his position, Derek slowly got up - mindful of Stiles' splayed limbs- and made his way downstairs to the hustle and bustle of dinner.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Cora questioned as she stuffed as much food as she possibly could onto her fork, the precarious pile was then shoved into her mouth. She looked at him with a solitary raised brow, obviously waiting for an answer. 

"He's sleeping off finals week." She nodded in understanding and sympathy as she piled up her fork once more.

"Why aren't you up there with him?" Laura questions with an air of innocence. 

"'Cause I heard someone say the magic word: food, and naturally I came running." Derek replied with a small smile.

"Food?" A sleep muddled voice questioned from the doorway. Stiles stood there as he adorably rubbed the sleep out of his eyes like a small child. His soft brown hair stood up every which way from his rolling around in Derek's bed. "Someone said food."

Derek chuckled at his boyfriend's timing before gently herding him towards the table, Stiles practically collapsed into the chair and didn't fuss at all when Derek started to make him a plate. He listened as Cora and Laura tried to engage him in conversation despite the fact that Stiles was half dead and half asleep. He fought back chuckles at Stiles' nonsensatcal attempt at replies while he waited on his food. 

When Derek finally returned to the table with the two plates piled high with food, he watched as everyone laughed and talked about their days and plans for the summer. He watched his sisters and boyfriend tease each other, the fond look from his mother as she watched as well, and he realized that he didn't want anything to change. Everything was exactly as he wanted it to be.

But of course, Derek's never really had the best luck. 


	14. 17, A New Swim Spot

17, A New Swim Spot  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 

For awhile there things where actually going supremely well. Stiles, Scott, and Derek where having tons of fun cooling down in the small creak that ran through the preserve- splashing around and generally having 'fun in the sun' as clique as it might sound. Stiles had gotten a horrible sun burn right at the beginning of summer and since then Derek has had the pleasure- by which he means Stiles forced the bottle into his hands and turned around with a frustrated muttering of "let's get this over with"- of rubbing sunscreen into his pale boyfriend's skin. But other than the tiniest of mishaps that barely even register as blips on his radar, everything has been a piece of cake.

That is until there were some particularly strong breezes during a strong summer storm that made the only decent swimming spot in the creak unusable. One of the near by trees had fallen and that along with a ton of other debris had basically dammed up the small creak. It wouldn't have been a problem- werewolf strength and all that- if they weren't so lazy. And hey, it would have been pretty freaking time consuming.

So they started to resort to long trips to one of the slightly crowded  public pools. Which turned put not to be too bad when Derek made friends with one of the regular lifeguards, Boyd, and his kickass blonde bombshell girlfriend Erica.

Things only got more interesting when one afternoon, two objectively gorgeous brunette's walked through the gate and started to tan right next to where Scott, Stiles, and Derek were enjoying themselves in the cool blue water. When Scott finally noticed the younger of the two, he stopped everything he was doing - he stopped moving, splashing, talking, and it even seemed like he stopped breathing. After another moment, Stiles finally noticed his friends statue like behavior and followed his gaze to the two women.

"My dad mentioned that some family had moved to our wonderful and exciting town." Stiles told Derek. He was watching Scott with a small smirk.

"Well, I see one volunteer for the welcome committee." Derek commented with a similar smirk on his own face. Stiles nodded his agreement, his smile grew as he did so, and reached out to snap his friend out of his trance.

When Scott came back to himself and saw the amused smirks on both of their faces and rolled his eyes before he sent a splash of water at the both of them. "Shut up."

"We haven't even said anything yet." Stiles said defensively. "But while we're on the subject of talking, you should go an talk to her."

"Talk to who?" Scott asked, trying his best to give the impression of innocence. His brows where furrowed in faux confusion and he completely refrained from looking in the girls' direction.

Derek gave Scott a look. "You know who." He gave a slight nod in the direction of the two sunbathing girls, because seriously Scott? He should have know that at the very least Stiles wasn't going to let this go easily.

Scott laughed weakly and flashed the two of them a nervous smile, "Oh, right." Scott sighed and looked back over at the two girls and longing flashed across his face like he was some sort of Disney prince laying eyes on his precious princess for the first time. 

"Just go and talk to her, dude, it can't end too horribly." Stiles tried to reassure but Derek could just tell that all the worst case scenarios were flashing through Scott's mind as he started to back away from the pool wall. So Derek did what any loving boyfriend would do and elbowed Stiles.

After another moment Scott nodded to himself and started to make his way back towards the pool ladder. He kept muttering, "What's the worst that could happen," over and over as he went but at least he was making his way. 

Stiles turned towards Derek with a totally triumphant grin and waggled his eyebrows suggestively and dove towards his boyfriend. "Just for the record, this is totally my success."

"Oh really?" Derek asked as he wrapped his arms around Stiles' pale frame. "Cause the way I see it, you almost made him freak out."

"It was all part of the plan." Stiles replied cooly. He ran a pale hand over the mostly still water in a effort to prove to Derek just how smooth he was. Derek wasn't buying any of it.

"You know I've know you basically my whole life right? I know when you're full of crap." Derek raised and expectant eyebrow.

Stiles rolled his eyes, "Right you've got a very good bullshit meter built in." And then yanked lightly and gently on Derek's some what sticky-outy ears with a fond expression. "Sometimes I forget."

"It's a good thing I'll always be here to remind you." Derek replied with a dopey grin that usually made everyone but Stiles roll their eyes and scoff in disgust.

But Stiles just flashed Derek a goofy grin of his own. "A very good thing indeed."

They both leaned in for a gentle and chaste kiss- as they were in a public pool.

When they pool apart it isn't for the sack of decency or anything too honorable or noble, it's because Scott's jumping back in the pool and the splash of water across their faces is a surprise that has them jerking apart in shock.

"Guys!" Scott shouted out, his excitement clear in his voice. "I'd like you to meet Allison Argent and her Aunt Kate. They just moved to town so be nice." He looked at them both- buy mostly Stiles- imploringly and it made Derek want to smile.

The younger of the two, Allson, had dark brown hair and a dimpled smile that definitely makes her look the part of the princess to Scott's prince. She greeted them easily and shakes both their hands like they aren't standing around in water with barely any clothes on. Just by this Derek can tell that Allison and Scott were basically made for each other. 

The other girl though, Kate, she looked almost predatory as she moved around Scott and Allison. Her gaze didn't leave Derek's until she was right in front of him, and it was only to give Stiles a cursory glance. "Hi, I'm Kate. And who are you?"


	15. Summer From Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is beig replayed because I accidentally messed up the story a little bit with this chapter and the previous one because originally I wasn't going to have Kate Argent take any interest in Derek and had Allison in the story (not very much but she was mentioned), so I switched some names around and changed a few little things (nothing to change anything important).
> 
> I also want to clarify that the Mrs. Argent in chapter 7 is Victoria Argent and not Kate (I got a few questions about that.) Hopefully that is more apparent within this chapter. Hopefully it's less confusing for you guys. I'm sorry I changed the plot and messed up a handful of detail but I feel that they have been fixed, if you find anything else let me know and I'll change it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

17, The Summer From Hell  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 

"Mom, there are at least two more Argents in town." Derek dutifully reported that night after he found out.

Almost immediately Talia went into 'alpha mode' as everyone had taken to calling it for as long as he could remember. "Did they approach you? Threaten you or anyone else in anyway?" Her hands came up to gently cup his face and she turned his head to and fro, obviously checking for injuries.

"No, no, nothing like that. Scott and Allison met at the pool and it's been this freaking fairytale romance." Derek tried to placate his mom and calm her nerves. 

"They might not be up to anything right now but I would definitely keep an eye on them. Let me know if they do anything even remotely suspicious." The authority in her voice was clear. "Don't trust them. Ever."

These were people that he had always been told to be wary of, but when he watched the way that  Allison interacted with Scott and the clear adoration on both their faces, Derek didn't feel like there was anything to be worried about with her. She was obviously totally sweet and bad ass in a way that didn't seem to have anything to do with the slaying of werewolves. 

Kate on the other hand was more than a little unsettling. He didn't think she had anything to do with the family business but he suspected that it was only a matter of time before she was brought in on the family secrets. But ultimately nothing life threatening to worry about yet. And either way he didn't want to be the person to stand between something that seemed an awful lot like true love and everyone deserves a fair shot. Just because they're Argents doesn't mean they're bad people automatically.

All of a sudden it seemed like wherever Scott was, Allison was which unfortunately meant that Kate was there too. She always seemed to be lurking around the group, almost like she was watching for weaknesses or something and she seemed completely fascinated and fixated on Derek. Something Stiles made clear he did not approve of.

"Derek, she watches you like a lion or tiger watches a wounded gazelle. It's totally creepy." Stiles told him one afternoon when they were alone at the Stilinski residence curled up on the couch watching movies.

"It's not like I can just ask her to leave, she's clearly there as some sort of chaperone for Allison. You know how much Mrs. Argent hates me. She probably told Kate to tag along just to annoy us all. And besides, this is the first girl that Scott's looked at... you know, the way he does."

"Like a total love sick puppy you mean?" Stiles asked jokingly, but Derek found the statement to be true enough.

"I don't want to say something and then them not be able to hang out because I can't handle some unnerving staring." He burrowed his face into Stiles' chest hummed contently when strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him in closer. He didn't want to think about weirdo aunts and uncomfortable outings, he just wanted to reveal in the warmth and comfort and love that his totally hot and amazing boyfriend had to offer. When he said as much Stiles rewarded him with a brief but passionate kiss before they both sank further into the couch and restarted his running commentary on the movie.

And while Stiles was good at hiding his thoughts and feelings from pretty much everyone else, he was terrible at hiding them from Derek. He knew that Stiles still loathed the idea of hanging out with the creepy and possibly obsessive stalker esc Kate Argent. But there wasn't much he could do about it.

And so they both sucked it up. For Scott's sake. Even though Kate only seemed to getting worse.

Her leering was more intense than ever. She'd taken to muttering suggestive comments to herself that only Derek could hear. And, if Derek had to hazard a guess as to that crazy show, she'd turned on the charm. Kate took every opportunity to talk to him despite his obvious discomfort. She leered, she purred, and she pounced the moment Stiles was out of sight.

"You have to tell Allison, man." Stiles said after another few days of awkward double dates with the worst fifth wheel ever.

"It's just so awkward, I mean- this is her aunt." Derek tried to plead.

"Exactly! She's supposed to be an adult, she should know better than to behave the way she has been." Stiles widened his eyes and looked at Derek imploringly. "If she keeps this up she make doe eyes at you from a tiny cell with a tiny window. All we have to do is talk to my dad."

"Stiles, no one needs to be arrested because someone couldn't take a hint." Derek tried to sound reassuring but he wasn't sure Stiles was getting the memo. "It isn't anything I can't handle. I'll just make it more clear that she needs to back off."

Stiles' eyebrows furrowed in frustration and concern. "Derek, you don't understand. I've talked to Allison and Scott and they both agree- Kate is obsessed with you."

Derek didn't actually have an answer for that, he just looked at Stiles skeptically. All Stiles did was stare right back and wait for Derek inevitable cave- Derek had problems saying no to Stiles. And after another minute he finally rolled his eyes and gave in.

"Fine, next time she... is inappropriate I'll talk to you dad and whatever."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The next time anything happened it was mid-July and the whole gang had decided to make the drive out to the beach for the day. It was a bright and sunny day without a cloud in the sky with a nice but light breeze that kept them comfortable in the summer heat. Between the six of them and all the chairs and blankets and stuff, they had to split up into two cars and thank god Stiles called dibs on riding with Lydia as soon as he did or else they might have been stuck in an enclosed space with Kate for a matter of hours. Something he wasn't sure Stiles could have handled.

And okay, Derek isn't going to lie, the downward spiral kind of started on the car ride there when Stiles suddenly leaned forward between the driver and passenger seat.

"So Lydia, what do you think of Kate?" He tried to make it sound like an innocent question, but Derek knew what he was up to. "Do you like her?"

Derek quickly cast her a pleading but discouraging look and tried to telepathically convey that she should not engage Stiles. Derek and Lydia usually got along well enough but at that moment he kind of wanted to take back every compliment he'd ever given her. She'd looked straight at him and smirked before turning back toward the road.

"I don't know. She seems a bit obsessive." She said in what he supposed was meant to be an off handed tone but the curl of her lips had given her away. Derek thought she was teasing until he noticed the furrow in her brows and the way her hands tightened on the wheel. "She never leaves Allison alone." Lydia muttered under her breath. "She's always with us everywhere we go."

"I know!" Stiles shouted, excited that he wasn't the only one who had taken notice. "I don't think I've ever seen Allison without Kate glued to her side."

Stiles and Lydia continued to talk about how odd Kate was for a while longer but eventually the subject was changed and Derek was lulled to sleep by their quiet chatting.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey sleepy-head," someone crooned softly. "We're almost there, so you need to wake up so that we can put those awesome super muscles to use with set up and unloading."

Reality started to fade back into focus and Derek started to slowly blink awake. "Mhmmgh?" He groaned before straightening up in his seat and looked around. His eyes settled on his boyfriend and the unfamiliar scenery. "Stiles? Where are we?"

"We're almost to the beach, sleeping beauty." Stiles replied quietly. "We stopped for gas. I was gonna go grab a quick snack, do you want me to grab you something? Maybe some caffine?" He reached out and ran his slender fingers through Derek's sleep rumpled hair, smoothing it back out.

"A coke would be awesome, but I think I need one more thing." Derek tried to fight a smile. "I think I'm gonna have to demand a kiss."

Stiles rolled his eyes, this was a ploy that Derek used fairly frequently but never failed. He leaned forward and placed a gentle and chaste kiss on Derek's lips. Derek quickly brought his hands up to cup Stiles' face and hold him in place as he deepened it.

"I get it you guys are sickeningly adorable but could you please hurry up so we can get back on the road?" Lydia pleaded from her place at the gas pump.

Stiles pulled back and ran his fingers through Derek's hair one last time before he pulled away completely to make his snack run, glaring over his shoulder at Lydia all the while.

"So, how close are we?" Derek called out to Lydia as soon as Stiles was out of sight. It wasn't his fault that Stiles looked just as good from the back as he did from the front.

"We're about half an hour away but Stiles just needed to eat, and we were running low on gas so..." Derek looked over his shoulder at her and saw as she gestured to the gas station they had stopped at.

Derek didn’t really have a response for that so he just let her get back to it and waited for Stiles to come sprinting out of the store with an arm full of cokes and a bag full of snacks. Something that happened not too long after and then they were on their way again. As they drove, no one mentioned Kate- they talked about the hopes they had for senior year and the latest TV show obsessions and it was great.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Surprisingly, they got to the beach first. Though, to be fair, they had left first. Neither Lydia or Stiles were morning people so when Derek rang them to make sure they were awake that morning they hadn’t really dragged their feet because they knew- or rather thought they knew- that they were going to be able to sleep in the car.

While Derek might be more of a morning person than them, he was the one who had loaded the car, and he was going to be the one who unloaded the car. He wasn’t going to be driving. Plus, he’d called shotgun as soon as they had all arrived at his house, but that’s just semantics.

Anyway, they’d gotten to the beach first and had picked the perfect spot on the not as crowded as they had expected beach and laid out their towels and blankets to just sort of stretch their legs and enjoyed  the open space after that ridiculously long car ride while they waited for the others to arrive.

Stiles and Derek were curled up together sharing a towel and Lydia was slathering herself with sunscreen when Derek's phone went off, letting them know that the others had arrived. So, with a collective groan, they got up to meet their friends to help unpack both of the cars. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was alone and unloading the last few things from the car when he heard someone making their way up the sand behind him. Derek immediately assumed it was Stiles, he was always trying to sneak up on Derek or trying to spare a moment for a couple of kisses away from their over dramatic friends. "Hey can you help me out over here real quick?" He asked without turning around.

"Of course. What exactly can I help you with?" A voice- one that definitely didn't belong to Stiles- purred. Kate had been the one to come up behind him.

"Oh." He tried to mask his surprise when he spun around to face her. "I thought you were Stiles."

"Nope." He couldn't help but notice that she kind of smiled like a serial killer. "It's just you and me. So what exactly do you need help with?" She purred once more and started to trail her hand up and down his arm.

"I just need some helping getting all this," Derek gestured to the handful of folding chairs in his arms and over his shoulders. "Over to our little set up."

Kate looked at him for a second, frustration obvious on her face. "Is that all you need help with? I could help you with anything of a more... deviant nature?" Her voice grew husky on the last two words.

Derek looked at her with wide eyes. "Definitely not. I have a boyfriend." He tried to sound polite but stern, and wasn't sure that it sounded as confident as he would have liked- she was kind of freaking him out.

"You don't want anything to do with the gorgeous older woman that's only going to be in town for the summer?" She pressed. Her fingers were starting to dig into his arm where it had previously been trailing up and down his arm.

When he looked at her again he struggled to control his temper. "Like I already said, I have a boyfriend and I'm not interested."

She narrowed her eyes at him but released his arm so that he could finally walk away. But, before he could get too far she grabbed his arm once more. "What if you didn't have a boyfriend?" She asked manically. "What then?"

"That isn't going to happen because I love Stiles and Stiles loves me."

"Well with the way he's been glaring daggers at me at every opportunity. I'd say he isn't as secure as you'd like to think he is." She smirked and pulled him closer as she spoken until there was barely any space between them.

Derek had had enough. He wrenched his arm out of her hold and took several steps back that she matched until he was backed against the car. She trails a hand almost tenderly down the side of his face and Derek is momentarily stunned as the touch sends an unpleasant shiver down his spine. 

After another tenth of a second his brain snaps out of it's... malfunction in the face of crazy? And he pushes Kate away a little roughly. 

"Whatever you're playing at, I don't want any part of it. I've told you I'm not interested, leave me alone." And with that he marches down the sandy slope to where everyone else is setting up, folding chairs in hand.

"Stiles." He called his boyfriend over after unceremoniously dumping the folding chairs into the sand. "When we get home, we're definitely talking to your dad. I don't think I want to be anywhere near her if I don't have to be."

 

 

Even after that little hiccup, everyone still to have enjoyed the water and the sun. And it was fun.

Scott and Allison were adorably close in the water, all wrapped up in each other, whispering sweet nothings to each other that Derek couldn't hear but made the other brake out into the largest grins he'd seen on either of them. Just watching the scene had Derek reaching out to entertained his fingers with Stiles while Stiles was reading some supernatural scifi novel that he'd been asking Derek question after question about in the safety of the shade created by the large tent they'd brought along for their two porcelain friends (i.e. Lydia and Stiles). Lydia, when she wasn't power lounging with Stiles or out swimming with Allison and Scott, was having to fight off a surprising number of people that were seeking out her attention throughout the day.

Except for the fact that Kate had made it increasingly obvious with snide or crude comments about his looks and physic and unwanted flirtations that she wasn't taking no for an answer. She was touchy and grabby in a way that she hadn't been before, and she was persistantly leering which made Derek feel like his skin was going to crawl right off of his body. 

So, Derek decided to do what Stiles had been suggesting (with increasing insistence) the whole time. He talked to the Sheriff and his mom and told them about all of Kate's inappropriate behavior and actions and asked for advice from the man he had come to see as a second father.

"Son," The word sent a sick thrill through Derek everytime he heard it. "It sounds to me like you need to just need to file for a restraining order. If you've asked to back off more than a few times and she doesn't want to listen then I think you'll do best with having something that will force her to back off."

"I agree with the Sheriff," Talia said quickly. "It sounds like whatever interest she has in you, isn't healthy in the slightest."

After that initial sorting of the details he had taken out a restraining order against her and finally everything seemed to be totally fine as Kate apparently crawled back into whatever hole she'd crawled out of. The summer was finally back to normal.

Scott and Allison became a thing and when they bumped into Isaac one fateful afternoon things got... interesting. Boyd and Erica seemed to have joined the group seamlessly. And somehow, at some point, Lydia, Allison, and Stiles seemed to have grown impossibly close and blossomed into freaking masterminds that kind of had Derek fearing for the fate of the school, if not the rest of the world.

It just seemed like it was going to be one of those summers that never seemed to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the confusion :( hopefully it's all better now.


	16. The Night Before Hell, 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last few days of freedom!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to go ahead and post this since starting tomorrow, I'm going to be busy with school again (cries).
> 
> Thanks zuca51 for being that last bit of encouragement I needed to crank this chapter out and hopefully many more soon to come.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

During the weeks leading up to school, things had been easy. Almost too easy and quiet, but Derek wasn't about to comment on it and jinx himself to hell and back. So he hung out with all of his friends and Allison (despite his mother's protests), she seemed to have no problems aclamating to the group at all. She was there most of the days that they were at the pool, she'd wormed her way into the over crowded couch for movies. The more he got to know her, the more he started to like her. 

Allison has turned out to be a total and complete sweetheart. Something that Derek hadn't been counting on based on all the horror stories about the Argents and hunters that he had grown up listening to. Everything about her just screamed innocent and a lack of wanting to hurt anything. 

Kate on the other hand seemed to be everything that Allison was not. She had turned out to be more than a bit aggressive and, as it turns out, was not one to go quietly into the night. Sure, the restraining order went through, but before it did Kate always seemed to be popping up the moment he was alone, trying to convince him that he had all these feelings that didn't exsist. 

It had been a total nightmare. 

There had been times where he thought that he was going to completely lose it and lock himself in his bedroom so he wouldn't have to deal with anything. But then Stiles would come by, they'd talk a little bit about everything else under the sky and cuddle on the couch and watch mindless tv and it felt like just for a little while, he could breathe a little easier. Stiles would grab his hand and rub mindless calming circles into his hand and the weight on his chest and shoulders seemed a little lighter. 

And then finally, she was gone.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Derek was curled up on the couch, warm and comfortable while he rewarched the adventures of Rose and the Doctor. It was a few days before school was supposed to start and he wanted to get in as much lazing around as he could before he had to get up early. 

His mom walked into the room and rolled her eyes when she noticed him. "Shouldn't you be out with your friends enjoying your final days of freedom?" 

"No," he replied and proceeded to wiggle further into his cacoon, as if to hide from the real world just a little bit longer.

"I know that things have been a little difficult lately, but things will get better. You've got everything ahead of you still." She walked over to the couch that Derek was spralled across and gently lifted his legs so that she could sit down. "Things always get bad before they get better and I know that you're strong enough to move past all of this."

He wanted to say so many things in that moment. That he was a little scared that Kate would and could still pop up at any moment saying god knows what in an impossible attempt to lure him into what was obviously a trap. That he didn't feel like he was a strong as she seemed to think he was because he couldn't even get a girl to leave him alone. 

He didn't say any of that obviously, just let her continue talking. 

"You'll always have someone to talk to should you need it, whether it's me, Stiles, the sherriff, Laura, or any of your other friends. We're all here for you." She gave his foot a reassuring squeeze. She made no move to leave like he had expected, instead she settled in to watch Doctor Who with him. They didn't talk anymore and surprisingly enough, his mom actually seemed to be enjoying the show. 

 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 

The Sunday afternoon before school started, Stiles burst into Derek's room with a loud dramatic sigh. 

"I don't want to go back to school, I just want to lay around in my pajamas and watch tv all day." And with that sudden and very relatable declaration, Stiles threw himself face first onto Derek's bed.

In all honesty, Derek didn't even know how to react to that and settled for a simple but classic raised brow.

"We don't even have anything to do yet and you already don't want to do it?" He asked, rising from his desk chair, closing his laptop, and moving to plop down next to Stiles. 

"There just comes a point when you can't take it anymore. That moment is now, cause I don't want to go." His voice was muffled from talking into the pillow but Derek understood what he was saying well enough. 

"It'll be fine." Derek tried, operative word being tried, to reassure. "It's senior year, it's supposed to be a bit of an easy one."

"Yeah, like high school is supposed to be some of the best years of our lives." Stiles scoffed in response. He turned his head to the side and stared up at Derek. "I'm just nervous." He gently laced their fingers together, and scooted so that his head rested on Derek's thigh like a pillow. 

"What are you nervous about?" Derek's brows furrowed in confusion. Stiles wasn't usually one to get nervous, he tended to just dive head first into things. 

"I don't know. It just feels like somethings going to happen. Like something's going to go wrong."

"What could possibly go wrong?"


	17. Almost an ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it's almost been two years since I've worked on this story! I'm planning to finish it, hopefully that'll happen. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone that commented asking me to continue, you've been a motivator for sure and hope y'all enjoy this chapter as much as you seem to enjoy the rest of the story. I apologize for any mistakes on my part, like I said it's been awhile.

Something was wrong. After dealing with the whole Kate thing, everything seemed to go back to the way it was before but in the last month Stiles just knew something was off. He couldn't put it into words, but it was a feeling that crept down his spine and niggled at the back of his mind.

And that was weeks ago.

After being so incredibly paranoid for days and constantly asking the wolves if they could sense anything amiss, getting a resounding no from each and every one of them, you’d think that Stiles would calm down and just relax. Nope, Stiles Stilinski did _not_ have an off button and everyone knew it and when he miraculously stopped asking, everyone just assumed that he had given up on the whole idea. This is also not something Stiles is know to do and why anyone thought he'd do it now was completely astounding.

If Stiles thought that his family and friends were in danger then he was damn well going to do everything he could to prevent anything from happening to them. 

Somehow that _amazingly awesome_ characteristic translated into him roaming around in the woods a reasonable distance away from the Hale's property. Alone. At night.

He didn't actually know what he was looking for exactly but he had a feeling that he would know it when he found it. Probably not the best mentality but it's what he had.

Guided only by the dim light of his phone, he searched for anything that might suggest that the werewolves were in danger.

Was this a dumb idea? Most definitely. 

Was he going to stop? You'd have to knock him out and drag his body back to the house and lock him up to keep him from going out.

He wasn't a complete dumbness, most of the time anyway. He had his phone on him. Not that it would mean much if he brained himself on a low hanging branch. For him, it was a real possibility.

The scurrying of something through the underbrush broke him out of his thoughts. He turned towards the noise and his phone illuminated glowing eyes and a small snout. An opossum.

Oh boy was he paranoid.

"Keep it together, Stiles. You are on a mission." Muttering was never a good sign. It was like he was hyper aware of every pile of leaves, every change in the wind and shuffle of branches. It was overwhelming, hard to focus. "Just a little while longer and then home." He'd been at it for probably two hours now.

He'd been doing it at least once a week for about a month; surprisingly enough, no one had noticed so far. The werewolves could definitely do the job better than him, but no one else seemed to have a hair raising tingle when they were in the woods. No one else seemed to understand the strange feeling of wrongness that courses through Stiles almost everyday. 

Maybe it was all in his head; but he wasn't willing to risk the lives of the people he loved on the chance that he was wrong.

Of course nothing turned up that night, just like all the other night's before that.

Stiles sighed and growled in frustration, kicking a few leaves up as he did so.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Derek woke up and saw Stiles' side of the bed empty, not something surprising or unusual these days. Stiles didn't think anyone knew about his late night perimeter checks but how could Derek not know? After following him out a couple of times he deemed the woods safe and let Stiles do his thing, knowing good and well that he couldn't stop him.

Tonight seemed different, the woods seemed quieter and as Derek tossed and turned, he knew there was no way he was going back to sleep without knowing Stiles was right there next to him. So, with a sigh, Derek got up, put some actual clothes on, and went to go look for his dumbass boyfriend.

So once he reached the tree line at the edge of the clearing that surrounded his house and started down a worn and familiar path. After those first few nights of following his idiotic boyfriend he figured out Stiles' route easily.

Dried leaves crunched under his boots as he walked through his favorite part of the woods, where the trees were denser and critters scampered through the underbrush. He was so focused on the sights and sounds of the forest that he didn't notice the quiet crunch of leaves only a few feet back. Derek just assumed it was a predator after its next meal.

He was right... in a way.

"Sorry, Gorgeous," Kate whispered in the dark as she quickly covered his nose and mouth with a horrible smelling, chemical covered rag. "I couldn't let you get away that easily."

He didn't even have the chance to fight before the chemical took hold and his body went lax as everything faded to black.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Stiles was beyond ready to head back: he was cold and tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed next to his space heater boyfriend. He was actually a little surprised he made it this long without Derek noticing. In fact, it's been weeks and no one has said a single thing to him. 

He shook the thought away and started to head back towards the house; his steps were carelessly loud in the mostly quiet night. In his mind there wasn't anything out there, he had no reason to believe otherwise.

It only took a matter of minutes before he was entering the clearing surrounding the Hale's house and the sight that greeted him sent a small surge of panic through his body. Most of Derek's family stood outside chattering quietly, the sheriff stood to the side in uniform talking with Talia. Laura was the first to notice him.

"Stiles! Finally! Where have you been? We were worried sick." She enveloped him in a tight hug.

"Son, you really need to stop sneaking out in the middle of the night." His dad strolled over looking tired and resigned. "Where did you and Derek go?"

"I was just walking the property." He looked at his feet so he didn't have to look anyone in the eyes. "Derek wasn't with me." He said it slowly, waiting for someone to clarify.

His dad sighed and Laura and Talia exchanged a look. "If Derek isn't with you then where is he?"

"What do you mean 'where is he', he's here." Stiles looked up and saw the worried expressions on everyone's face and just knew.

“I got up to get some water and when I passed by your room...” Laura trailed off.

"Oh my god, Derek's missing." Thalia whispered.

It's hard to properly put into words the panic Stiles felt in that moment, it was entirely consuming as he let Talia's words wash over him. Derek was missing, he'd gone out at some point, _probably looking for you_ his mind whispered, and he hasn't returned. Some of the older Hale's left immediately to go out looking for him.

The world started to fade away like it hadn't done in a very long time. He was dimly aware of voices but nothing was clear except one thing: Derek was missing.

Someone put their hand on his shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. Probably Laura, she always seemed to know just how to help Stiles when he needed it. The hand grounded him and the world slowly came back into focus and with it a singular focus within Stiles. They had to find him. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Derek came to slowly, the world shifting from pitch black to color over the course of several minutes with the assistance of slow, heavy blinking as whatever drug Kate used on him released its hold.

He couldn't hear or smell anything, and as much as he would love to blame it on any residual drug in his system he knew it had to be wherever Kate was holding him. When he tried to move he was met with resistance and it took a moment for his brain to register the bite of wolfsbane infused rope around his wrists and ankles. 

He groaned and tried to pull at the rope with all his might, ignoring the painful burn of the plant as it ate through his skin. Whatever he was tied to squealed under the strain but didn't give. 

Suddenly light flooded the room and Derek recoiled against the onslaught.

"Oh good," The voice was feminine and sounded far too gleeful. "You're awake. Now the fun can begin."

Kate. How could he forget?

When he groaned this time it was for a completely different reason. 

There was no way he was ever going to catch a break was there?

"Come on now, did you really think that a puny little restraining order was going to keep me away? I'm really not one for quitting." 

But apparently villainous monologues were right up her alley.

"Just tell me what you want." He demanded through clenched teeth. Doing the typical hero/villain back and forth just isn't something he's capable of doing at the moment.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Kate looked at him like he was stupid.

Why did he feel like she was about to tell him all about her evil plan?

"My grandfather was right..."

And here we go.

To be honest, he kind of just tuned her out while he twisted in the bindings and tried to think everything through. Hanging around the Sheriff meant that he picked up a few things and growing up a werewolf, let's just say he knew some things.

He went through a mental checklist of what he knew. Kate took him (not that he knew how long ago that was), Stiles was somewhere in the woods at some point and was going to go back the house at some point, soon if not already his parents would know that he was missing. Soon enough someone would come to save him. Hopefully.

Unfortunately, he didn't know where he was and as Kate droned on and spewed everything he already knew hunters thought about his kind he knew that his family probably wasn't going to be able to save him from all of the pain.

After another few minutes Kate left with a manic laughter that made the panic stewing in Derek's gut increase tenfold.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"What can I do? Is there anything I can do?" Stiles pestered his Dad once he stopped talking to his deputies. "I mean we don't even know what's wrong. What if he's just walking around in the woods?"

The sheriff turned towards him with a sigh, the wariness present in the tight wrinkles on his forehead. "You've done all you can. Just stay safe and let the deputies and werewolves sort this one out."

"But what if he's hurt or a hunter has him? He needs me! I can't just sit this one out!" It was like all of a sudden no one understood who Derek was to him or what he meant to him. How could they ask him to just sit around when _Derek_ was in danger. "I need to find him, Dad."

"I understand, but-"

"You don't understand, if you're asking me to sit this one out then you don't understand. Derek is everything to me, that you would ask me to stand aside while he could be in trouble tells me you have no idea." His chest heaved. He hadn't yelled like that at his Dad in quite some time.

His dad looked rather taken aback by his out burst, but before he had the chance to respond Stiles stomped back into the house. He did look at or talk to anyone, didn't breathe it felt like, until he reached Derek's room and locked the door.

All his suspicions about an upcoming danger had been confirmed in one of the worst ways possible. Did they really expect him to just sit back and not even try to find Derek? Did they know him at all?

"Just sit tight," he mocked in falsetto. "We have this kid, don't worry." Sigh. "I've only been talking about something weird going on for the past month but I'm just some dumb teenager, what do I know."

He called Derek's number hoping beyond hope that maybe he would answer because it was Stiles' calling. As the call connected and started to ring he collapsed onto Derek's bed. He didn't have too much hope of an answer but it was at least worth a shot.

"Well well well, calling to chat with your dog at a time like this? You know the thing needs it's sleep."

The voice made Stiles' breath catch in his throat and his eyes widen. She wasn't supposed to be here. Everything inside him screamed that this couldn't be true.

Kate Argent couldn't be on the other end of the line.

"I almost wish I could see your face right now. I bet it's priceless."

He was probably gaping like a fish, but he couldn't help it. Last he'd heard about her she wasn't even in the state, her family had moved down to Texas or something like that after the restraining order had gone through.

"What did you do to him?" He managed to get out in a whisper. "Where is he?"

She cackled like an honest to God witch. "Oh honey, don't worry about him. He's fine, for now anyway. You need to worry about you. Do you really think I'd let these- these animals chase me out of town?"

"They're people, better people than you I'd say." Probably not for the best to taunt the woman who has your boyfriend hostage but he just couldn't help himself.

"They aren't people at all, and if you're on their side then you're no better," she sneered.

And he was struck with a genius idea, if he could get his dad's attention then maybe they could trace the call and find out where Kate was hiding Derek. So he started to calmly make his way out to his dad while he listened to Kate rave like a mad man about how horrible the Hale's really were.

 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 

"I bet you think your little boyfriend is going to save you." Kate taunted once she hung up. 

“Stiles is smarter than you give him credit for. He'll find me, and if can't my family will. They'll never give up on me.” 

She laughed, it was unnerving and annoying. “You are awfully full of hope for the position you're in. Animals always leave the weak behind. Don't think you're anything special.”

“Isn't that what you hunters do? Leave the dead and wounded behind?” He sneered at her. “You think you're so superior but really you've become the animals you think we are.”

Her facade cracked, her easy confidence and playful attitude gone as she looked at him a little closer. “Don't act like you know everything, Derek Hale. Soon enough you'll see what I mean.”

And with that she walked away, the click of her heels echoing in the quiet room.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kate approached the resting hunters her father had called in. They were sitting around in a haphazard circle, boxes and crates found in the building made up their seats. They chatted quietly while cleaning their guns in preparation for the battle ahead.

“How's it coming boys?” She asked with a signature smile that she'd perfected to make men trip over themselves.

“Everything is all set up. We'll be ready.” 

“Just what I wanted to hear.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Once they had the address everything was a blur of motion. His dad piled the oldest of the Hales into the cruiser, Stiles smushed into the back.

The drive felt like seconds, but it had to have been at least twenty minutes. Everything after they got there happened in the blink of an eye. Everything was on fast forward.

The minute he laid eyes on Derek everything slowed down.

He ran towards Derek as the wolves rushed Kate and her henchmen, they started tearing into each other almost immediately. Stifles didn't himself get distracted by the sight, he started tugging at the wolfsbane ropes that held Derek down. The screams and growls did nothing to dampen the overwhelming relief he felt when the knots started and loosen and he was able to get Derek's hand out barely taking in the damage done to his wrists before moving on to his ankles.

A gunshot made him jump and turn to take in the bloody scene behind him. Many of Kate's henchmen littered the floor, injuries ranging from minor but incapacitating to major wounds that would need immediate attention. There was blood sprayed... everywhere. At the center of it all Kate stood with a shotgun cocked in her hands and directly in front of her, Talia Hale.

Nobody dared to move as they stared each other down. 

It did look as though either of them were responsible for the gunshot but a scan of the room revealed the sheriff standing in front of a bleed Gerard Argent. They too were staring each other down, chests heaving.

All at once everything was thrown into motion. They all launched at each other, and by they I mean whoever was left on Kate's side. The wolves all had blood on them but none of it seemed to be theirs. 

They moved swiftly and as one not unlike their animal counterparts. They dodged bullets and objects like they were nothing, like they weren't even there. Together they worked to knock out the henchmen while Talia and Kate were locked in hand to hand combat at the center.

 

He turned back to Derek with a quirk to his lips as he latched onto a fleeting thought. “Is it horrible of me to say that I can totally imagine watching this scene in a movie with Ballroom Blitz blaring in the background?”

Derek also quirked his lips and let out a small chuckle. They both ignored the blood that stained his teeth, lips, and chin.

Another moment and Derek was freed. Stiles took Derek’s weight and quickly started to lead him towards the door. They made it to the car without any interruptions and Stiles quickly started to hunt down something to wash out the purple petals that littered the burns on his wrists and ankles. After a moment he found a mostly full water bottle and started pouring it into the wounds, trying desperately to ignore his boyfriend's soft whimpers.

He’d barely moved on got the right hand before he noticed the skin of the left stitching back together.

It wasn't long after that that the Hales marched out covered in blood but still intact. Derek and him both let out a breath of relief at the sight. Never one to be out shined, the sheriff walked out with both Kate and Gerard in cuffs. The three figures were illuminated by the rising sun and Stiles didn't think he'd ever see a more beautiful sight.


	18. Chapter 18

College Roommates, 19

It was months before Derek could properly sleep without dreaming about that night; he might not have been in Kate's hands for long but he still found himself rubbing his wrists were the ropes had burned through layers and layers of his skin. He could still hear her hate filled words echoing in the late night, her father's cruel laugh along side them. The blood that had soaked the ground after his family had arrived. Images he couldn’t escape.

Lucky for him, Stiles was always there to kiss his wrists and whisper sweet nothings to him when he needed it most. Offering comfort without question and love without limit. When he couldn’t sleep and lay awake in his boyfriend’s arms, he would marvel at it all.

That's why, when the time for college came, getting an apartment off campus together was the easiest decision he ever made. Waking up next to Stiles every morning, their things mixed together; it was heaven. 

Little things had hadn’t noticed about Stiles sometimes distracted him and made him grin like an idiot. Like how his boyfriend had a way of falling asleep on top of the homework he’d been pouring over for hours. Sometimes when he's working on his course work Derek will get distracted watching Styles chew on the end of his pencil. Little things he hadn’t noticed or appreciated before were now added to the ever growing list of things he loved about his boyfriend.

The months flew by and their friends group got bigger, new additions that made everything a little more interesting. His heart got a little bit bigger every time he saw his friends having a good time in the living room, every time Stiles said he loves him, and when everything seems like it couldn't get better but then it does.

 

A Proposition, 20

This apartment is strangely dark when Stiles gets home. He puts his keys on the small table by the front door and drops his bag on the floor.

“Der?” He calls into the dark apartment. “You home?”

“Yeah, I'm in the bedroom.” Derek’s reply was followed by some pretty frantic sounding movement.

Confused, Stiles made his way forward. As he approaches the bedroom he recognized the flicker of candles. “Did the power go out?”

“Not exactly.”

And then he noticed the rose petals, they were a deep red against their sand colored carpet. The trail started about halfway down the short hall that led to their bedroom. It started with just a few petals and gradually add up to more as he reached for the door to their room. 

Soft classical music emanated from the other side of the door, Stiles quietly chuckled at the amount of effort Derek had put into all of this.

“You know, we’ve been dating for years you really don't have to put this much effort into wooing me now.” He turned the knob and was blown away but the soft lighting that greeted him. Candles, at least thirty all over the room. Derek stood in the middle of it all with a soft, shy smile on his face. 

“Tonight, I wanted to do something special for you,” He said. “You’ve been so stressed out with school and being so far from your Dad. I wanted you to have a night that was completely stress free.”

Stiles smiled so hard his cheeks started to hurt from the strain. “How did I end up with someone as perfect as you?”

“I could ask the same thing.”

They both stood for a moment staring at each other, smiling and warm. Their moment was broken when Derek dropped down on one knee and changed Styles’ life for the better forever.

“Stiles,” Derek took a deep steadying breath. “Will you-”

“Yes, of course, oh my god get over here you big lug.”

“You don’t know what I was about to ask. I could have been asking anything!”

“On one knee, do you think I’m dumb? Of course I know what you were about to ask.”

“Alright, fair enough...”

 

 

22

“Dude, why did I let you talk me into this?” Scott asked over the massive box he struggled to carry down the last flight of stairs. “I could be eating pizza,” he paused to readjust his hold on the box, “but no, instead I’m carrying this heavy ass box down three flights of stairs.”

“Don’t be a baby, Derek was carrying twice that before you even got here.” Stiles didn’t mention that fact that he was also regretting letting Derek talk him out of hiring movers to help get everything into the truck.

“Derek is a Werewolf!” Scott squeaked out. “He literally has inhuman strength on his side.

Stiles pretended to think for a moment. “Fair enough.”

“Why’d you have to live on the third floor anyway?” Scott grumbled.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Once the last of the boxes had been brought in, Styles collapsed onto the couch. Moments later Derek and Scott joined him.

“I can’t believe I’m a homeowner.”

“It’s Beacon Hills, everyone is a home owner.”

“Don’t ruin this for me, Scott.”

“Honestly, I’m just surprised you guys haven’t asked me to leave yet. What with the new house and all.”

Derek and Stiles looked at each other at the same time, the words that passed between them completely unspoken.

“Oh come on!”

 

25

“I cannot believe this.”

“Stiles you’re overreacting.”

“Overreacting?! How could you not tell me about this?! We’re married!”

Derek ran an exasperated hand over his face. “Is this really that big a deal?”

“How can you even ask me that?”

Derek glared from between his fingers. Stiles was looking at himself in the mirror, at the slight belly he had started sporting in the last few months.

“I can’t even wear my favorite shirt without it being tight.” He looked over at Derek with a pout.

“You look good+ why is this such a big deal?”

The pout somehow became even stronger. “You look like a god and here I am getting fat and old and you just keep becoming more attractive.” He paused then muttered, “Stupid Werewolf genes.”

Derek came up behind his husband and wrapped him up tight in his arms, leaned down and pressed a kiss to his speckled chee before saying “You are as beautiful now as you have ever been.” 

 

28

Screams woke Stiles up from the sleep he so desperately needed. HE softly groaned and rolled to take a quick look at the clock next to him. 3:35 blinked back at him.

“Derek,” He pushed at his husbands shoulders to wake him up. “It’s your turn.”

No response. 

“Derek.” He pushed and shoved a little harder until his husband made a noise of confusion at being so rudely woken. “It’s your turn.”

With very little grumbling Derek got up and went into the next room, Stiles was halfway to being back asleep when his husband’s quiet voice came through the baby monitor.

He sang softly to their daughter and the softness of it made him smile as his eyes drifted closed, lulled back to sleep by the comforting sound.

 

33

The sniffle was quiet but after 5 years Derek and Stiles both recognized it for what it was: the beginning of a nuclear meltdown. There was little that could be done to stop it and as the husband’s shared a look they prepared themselves for what it was going to mean for them.

“Luna, sweety.” Derek knelt down and stroked her honey brown hair. “I know that you don’t want to go, but you have no idea how fun it's going to be.” He offered his daughter what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Stiles joined them on the ground, “It’s going to be so much fun! You can make friends and learn about all the things that we don’t know. You can be smarter than us!”

Another small sniffle came from the girl before she hesitantly looked up at them through her tear coated lashes. “As smart as Aunt Lyds?”

“Maybe even smarter.” Stiles offered with a wink.

“No one is smarter than Aunt Lyds!” The outburst made Stiles smile.

“And no one will be if you don’t get to school.”

Luna rushed to finish getting ready for her first day of school.

 

43

 

“Did you hear that Der, we’re the worst ever.” Stiles laughed to himself as he stared at where his daughter had run into her room. “You know, I really have the sudden urge to call my dad and apologize for everything I did during puberty.”

Derek just dumbly nodded. “I never truly realized how strong my mom was until this moment.”

Stiles put comforting arms around his husband. “She’ll get better. I mean, this can’t last forever.”

Derek turned and placed a kiss on Stiles’ temple. “It just hurts.”

“I know.”

 

46

“Luna Stilinski-Hale.” The announcer called. She walked across the stage like a princess and a large section on the auditorium stood clapping and hollering in their happiness.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing our daughter graduate! She was a tiny little three month old last year!” Tears ran down his face and he turned to hide them in his husband’s shoulder.

“Oh Der, you big softy.” Stiles gently stroked his husband’s soft hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who read this! Thank you for leaving comments, you guys have no idea how much they motivated me. Sorry it took so long for me to finish.


End file.
